Bound
by WandereofWorlds
Summary: Kagome is a high standing lady in a kingdom but she can't find a husband becuase of her past bad luck. Her mother is fed up with her being single and forces Kagome to do anything and everything to get a husband. KagomeXInuyasha Lemons later
1. Chapter 1

"I'm sorry Mrs. Kakogawa but there are just no men who are interested." The village matchmaker said as she flipped through her papers once again.

"I understand, I'm very sorry to have bothered you again." A tall woman with deep purple robes answered. The woman looked to her right at a young girl and sighed as she began to rub her temples.

"I mean if the circumstances were different she would be married right away, but with her past no man is willing to sink to her level. I mean a young girl gets married and her husband dies at the after party? No one is willing to take the bad luck, and then to claim that she is still a virgin is another strike. After all if a man is going to have to marry damaged goods he's going to want her to at least be good in bed." The matchmaker explained. However, this was an explanation that the daughter had heard before. Her face turned red each time the matchmakers had told her that she needed bed experience to find a husband because of her bad luck. The young girl shivered as she thought of her first would-be-husband. He had been three times her age so his death was definitely part of her mother's plan, but before the old man could even write the young girl into his will he had died. Of all the bad luck! At this rate she was never going to get married, but to tell the truth that didn't bother the young girl much.

"Kagome let us take our leave." The woman said as she stood and thanked the matchmaker for her work, although Kagome could tell that her mother's thanks were strained. As they exited the rich house Kagome and her mother boarded their carriage and began the drive back home.

"I thought for sure this time we would find someone!" Kagome's mother grumbled as she looked over her daughter, "Sixteen is just far too old! You should be having children right now not worrying about where you're going to find a husband!" Kagome sighed and turned to look out the window. Was her marital status really so horrible? Kagome had never seen anything wrong with being single, especially if it kept her out of an old man's bed. However, her mother did not think the same and was determined to find her daughter a husband. After all, their family was too well known to have a daughter that wasn't married. Heck she would gladly give Kagome away to a merchant on the street if that would help her reputation, but unfortunately not even the merchants would touch her daughter! Kagome's mother mused all of this around in her head, she was desperate for a solution, any solution! 'So the high class men don't want her because they're afraid that she'll bring them bad luck, not to mention she's technically been married before, the middle class men don't want her because she has no experience, and the lower class men are simply out of the question.' Sure she was desperate but she wouldn't sink so low as to have Kagome marry beneath her status. Kagome's mother thought. She had been trying to marry off her daughter for almost a year now. They had traveled near and far too any and every matchmaking service they could find, but all had given the same answer.

Kagome watched as her mother grew more and more depressed. They had been to the last matchmaker within the kingdom today and Kagome could see that it had taken a toll on her mother.

"Don't worry mother, I could always stay single." Kagome suggested. However, one glaring look from her mother and she knew that was out of the question. "But what else am I supposed to do? I can't rewind time and undo the wedding and it's not like I have any 'experience' anyway." Kagome said as she looked down.

"That's it! We'll just get you some experience! Why didn't I think of this before? It's so obvious! All we need is a man who will teach you about the bed but not tell anyone that you learned from him!" Her mother explained excitedly, "He has to be someone we would have complete control over, someone who would never betray us…" Her mother said as she began to flip through options in her head. Kagome, however, was not excited about this idea. 'How can I just give my virginity to a stranger? And I have to 'learn' from him??' Kagome thought, a scared expression creeping over her face.

"I've got it!" Kagome's mother exclaimed. She then proceeded to open the sliding door to the driver outside. "Please take us downtown, by the docks; we have some more urgent business to attend to." Her mother said to the confused driver. The driver gave her a weary expression that asked what exactly two ladies would be doing in the rough part of town. Kagome's mother slipped him a few pieces of gold and the driver's expression changed back into its blank stare.

Kagome's face grew more and more fearful as the carriage neared its destination. What on earth was her mother thinking going to the docks? Kagome had lived in the kingdom of Harlow all her life and had never been anywhere near the docks before. In the olden times Harlow was just a simple fishing village but it soon grew to become a bustling city once the farms were established. However, the city had never really been separated from its grimy roots. The docks were technically still part of Harlow but no one from the right side of town ever came down here. There was gambling, prostitution, and worst of all the 'trade'.

"Here you are Mrs. Kakogawa. The docks." The driver announced as the carriage pulled to a stop.

"Get your cloak on Kagome, and be sure no one can see your face." Kagome's mother ordered. Kagome slowly pulled on the thick black cloak and tucked her face well inside of its shadows.

"Drive around the docks twice, we should be ready by then." Her mother said to the driver as he pulled away. "That only gives us half an hour." Mrs. Kakogawa mumbled. With a small nod the two cloaked figures headed down a dimly lit street.

"Mother, where exactly are we going?" Kagome whispered after about ten minutes of zigzagging through the crumbling streets. Her mother didn't answer and instead picked up her pace. Kagome dejectedly matched her mother's pace. She was getting more and more nervous as she looked around her. All of a sudden Kagome thought she saw a face in one of the cracked windows. She squeaked in fear and turned her face towards the ground, keeping her mother's feet in her view.

"We're here." Kagome heard her mother sigh. Sure enough they had stopped in front of a large wooden building with peeling red paint. Kagome gulped and took a step closer to her mother.

"Now I don't want you to say a word, understand?" Mrs. Kakogawa asked before she reached for a bronzing door knocker. However, before she could let it drop down and deliver its thump the door was opened by a round woman. The woman looked to be well into her fifties with a thin head of matted brown and grey hair. Her eyes were barely noticeable behind all of the make-up that she had on and her clothing was tight and revealing, showing far more of the round woman than Kagome wanted to see.

"Hello, I am here to see the selection." Kagome's mother said with an unidentified confidence in her voice. The round woman smiled a yellow greasy smile and let them inside.

"You've come to the right place, the best in all of Harlow here." The round woman said as she walked down a dimly lit hallway. The building smelled of rotten food and a sour stink that Kagome couldn't place. All in all it took all of her self control not to go running out of the building screaming. Instead of thinking about what she was smelling, and stepping in, Kagome turned her attention instead to what her mother was actually here for. Was there really a man who would bed her and keep quiet about it here? Kagome was sure that a certain amount of money would keep a person quiet for a little while but she knew better then to turn her back on someone who would do anything for money. Kagome's next thought though made her entire body shiver, was she going to have to do it with someone in here? Her eyes grew wide and she began to pay attention to the twists and turns they were taking in case she needed to get away. There was no way that her mother could be so cruel as to force her to have her first time in a place like this with a man who probably had the same standards as the round woman who was walking in front of them could she? 'She would' Kagome thought with horror and there was no way that she could refuse her mother if it came to that. Kagome could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as she walked forward.

"Well then our selection starts here. Just tell me when you see one you're interested in." The round woman said as she opened a bolted door with a grunt. Kagome didn't know what to expect, but she certainly wasn't ready to see a room full of cages and chains. However, it wasn't the cages and chains that made her gasp it was the creatures tethered to them. Demons.


	2. Chapter 2

Kagome backed up into the wall and gasped as she saw what she thought had been exterminated long ago in Harlow, demons. As soon as the three women had entered the room all of the demons had gone silent. The round woman went to the wall and grabbed what looked like a walking stick. She waved it around for a few seconds before spinning, in a movement that should have been impossible for her size, and shoving the stick into the nearest demon. That was when Kagome realized that it wasn't a walking stick at all in fact the stick was electric and gave out a visible shock to the demon. He cried out in rage and hissed as the woman walked down the aisle. All of the other demons moved themselves as far from her as possible.

"Now then have a look around and tell me when you find one you like." The round woman said as she began to straighten out some boxes in the corner. Kagome was in shock, firstly that there were still demons in Harlow, secondly that her mother was going to buy one, and thirdly that he was going to be her teacher in the bedroom. Kagome's mother grabbed her wrist and pulled her along as she began to examine the demons.

"I want one that is good in bed." Her mother stated loudly to the round woman. Kagome blushed bright red underneath her cloak. What in the world was her mother thinking? Wasn't it bad enough that they were there at all? And now she was making such outlandish demands!

However, the round woman didn't even bat an eye to her mother's request and instead set to work gathering some of the demons together. She unhooked several and brought them to the center of the room where they were chained to the floor. In the light Kagome could see that each one had their hands bound behind their backs and a collar on that chained them to the ground. Several were blindfolded as well. The round woman stopped gathering demons when she had six chained in the middle of the floor.

"Here you go. Now what kind of mistress are you? Do you want a screamer or maybe you'd prefer one that likes to be roughed up?" The round woman asked. Kagome gasped again upon hearing her words. Were there really women out there that did these sorts of things to demons? And enjoyed it??

"No I want one that has experience and can teach." Her mother said bluntly. Kagome took another step back but the round woman just nodded and began moving the chained demons around shoving three to the front.

"Here we have a snake demon, not necessarily the best teacher but a very good partner." The round woman explained. Kagome looked at the demon she was pointing to. He wasn't blindfolded and started straight at the ground. His face was an odd greenish color and scales adorned his back. Her mother shook her head in disappointment at the demon.

"Well we also have a splendid frog demon here that is probably one of the best teachers, however, he is a bit rough, but that's why his last owner liked him." The round woman clarified with a smug grin on her face. Kagome took a step away from the frog demon and she saw him lick his slimy lips. Her mother once again shook her head and the round woman moved on to the last demon.

"He's a special one, discount price you know, he can probably teach. He came from a whore house down in the southern country and has been with many women before, but because he's only half demon he's not the first pick usually. The round woman concluded. When Kagome took a look at him she wasn't as scared. He looked the most human out of all of the three, no horns or extra limbs. However, a blindfold obscured her vision of his eyes. Her mother cocked her head as she looked the half-demon up and down. Finally she nodded her head.

"I'll take him, discount price right?" her mother asked. The round woman nodded and began to put the other demons back into their cages or tether them up to the side walls. She then proceeded to unhook the half demon and motion for Kagome and her mother to come stand by her.

"You've got to keep it behind you, let it know that you're the master now." The round woman explained before she gave an unmerciful tug on the chain that sent the half-demon falling to the ground and scrambling to stand. The round woman chuckled and began walking back out the way they had come.

Several hallways later the woman stopped in front of an old door and unlocked it swiftly.

"Here you will pay for your purchase, if you don't mind there is only one person allowed in at a time." She said her yellow smile back as she began to tie the half-demon up outside of the make-shift office. Kagome's mother motioned for her to stay outside as she walked in.

Kagome sighed and let her eyes wander to the half-demon. She didn't want to think about the fact that she was going to have to sleep with him. Instead she focused observing him. He had long silver hair that grew to his waist and tan skin. He was wearing nothing but a pair of dirty red pants. The only distinguishable demon feature he had was a pair of small white dog like ears that sat atop his head. However, there was only so much to look at and before long Kagome's thoughts had wandered back to what she was going to have to do with the half demon standing quietly before her, and she didn't even know his name! Kagome let out a whimper. The moment the sound left her mouth the half demon's ears swiveled her way. His whole body turned to face her as he lifted his head to meet her gaze. Kagome took a step back as her brow knit together in fear because although he was blindfolded she could feel his eyes on her.

She hadn't meant to say it, in fact she hadn't meant to say anything at all, it just somehow slipped out of her lips and out into the stale air between them.

"What's your name?" Kagome's first reaction was to cover her mouth with both hands and shrink back further along the wall. She shut her yes tight and mentally beat herself for having said anything at all.

"Inuyasha." A hoarse voice answered her unintended question. Kagome immediately looked up and stared at him. Inuyasha? That was his name? Kagome stood stark still for a few more seconds before returning her eyes to the ground and leaning against the wall. A few moments later her mother appeared from the office chatting with the round woman.

"Well then be sure to come back soon if you're satisfied with your purchase." the round woman said as she handed Inuyasha's chain leash to Kagome's mother. Mrs. Kakogawa got a firm hold on the leash before she nodded to Kagome and began to walk down the rusted and grimy hallways to the front door. Kagome filled her lungs with the salty air as soon as she was free from the sour smell of the building. She turned when she heard a breath mimicking her own. It was Inuyasha, he was gulping down the air in deep breathes. 'I suppose that he would be thankful for the fresh air' Kagome thought.

"We need to hurry up the carriage is going to be back at the docks soon." Kagome's mother said before turning to Inuyasha, "Now I don't want to hear a word out of you and you are to stay low until we reach our destination." Mrs. Kakogawa ordered. Kagome watched as Inuyasha slowly bowed, careful not to do any damage since he was blindfolded. "Ugh, Kagome take that dumb thing off." Mrs. Kakogawa said as she motioned to the blindfold. Kagome mustered any courage that she could find and took a step towards Inuyasha. "This is going to take too long! I'll head back and get the carriage you wait here with it. I doubt it could make it the whole way in that condition." Mrs. Kakogawa said as she gave the half demon a once over. Kagome did the same and was shocked to find blood dripping down from Inuyasha's legs and chest. She hadn't even noticed the cuts and scrapes on his torso much less the ones that were hidden by his pants.

Mrs. Kakogawa handed the chain off to Kagome before she took off in a hurried walk back from where they had come from. Kagome looked from the rusted chain in her hand to the demon that was towering over her. 'I really should take off the blindfold. I mean he's only going to have a harder time walking with it on right?' she asked herself. She slowly inched towards him, biting her lip with anxiety.

"I…I'm going to take off your blindfold." Kagome stuttered as she lifted her hands up to his face. In a swift movement Inuyasha was kneeling in front of her. Kagome let out a muffled scream at his sudden movement and stepped back, tripping over her own feet in the process. Kagome rubbed her head and swore quietly under her breath at her own clumsiness. When she looked up Inuyasha was right in front of her! He went from kneeling to crouching over her. Kagome let out another squeal when she noticed the close proximity.

"You…Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked in a gruff voice. Kagome drew back slightly, his voice sounded horrid and crackly, then again he probably didn't get to use it much. Kagome nodded and began to stand when she realized that he couldn't see her and therefore didn't know she had nodded.

"I'm…I'm fine. I just tripped a little." She answered as she began to stand once again. Inuyasha stayed on the ground and returned to a kneeling position. At first Kagome didn't understand why he was kneeling but then she realized that she wouldn't have been able to really reach the blindfold before because of his height. She gulped as she reached out towards him.


	3. Chapter 3

Kagome's every fiber was screaming for her to just leave Inuyasha alone and go running after her mother, but some part of her held her there, reaching towards him. Kagome's hands touched his cheek briefly before heading towards the back of the blindfold. She felt Inuyasha lean towards her touch slightly. 'I wonder how long it's been since someone last touched him?' she asked herself. She quickly undid the blindfold and pulled it off slowly. She watched as Inuyasha gradually opened his eyes. Kagome wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it definitely wasn't what she saw. Two glowing golden orbs were revealed when he blinked his eyes. She became entranced with them instantly.

"Kagome come on, I've got the carriage let's go!" Kagome's mother shouted from the end of the road. Kagome jumped at the sound of her mother's voice and turned around quickly hiding her hands behind her back like a child who's done something wrong. Inuyasha stood at once and followed Kagome's hurried pace towards the carriage.

"Now don't get used to riding in here! This is a onetime thing, got that?" Mrs. Kakogawa asked the half demon, a strain to her voice. Inuyasha kept his head down and nodded. Kagome climbed into the carriage swiftly; however, Inuyasha had a harder time climbing the steps. Kagome could see the pain in his face as he bent his knees. 'Was it because he knelt before?' Kagome asked herself with worry. Had she hurt him even more so?

"Hurry up!" Kagome's mother yelled as she tugged on the chain and sent Inuyasha falling into the carriage. Kagome could hear Inuyasha whimper from the pain. She immediately reached out a hand to help him up.

"What are you doing? Just leave him! This way no one will see him anyway." Mrs. Kakogawa said as she grasped Kagome's hand and placed it back on the seat. Kagome's mother then proceeded to straighten herself out and look out the carriage's window. Kagome was in awe at her mother's cold ways toward Inuyasha. However, as she thought back to how her mother had been acting lately she realized that she shouldn't have been surprised at all. 'When did her cold attitude become natural to me?' Kagome asked herself as she looked down at her lap, defeated. She could remember times when she had been younger and her mother had shown her nothing but kindness, but like all things in Kagome's world her mother's compassion had only been temporary.

The carriage rolled into the front gates of the Kakogawa mansion shortly after the sun had begun to set.

"Pull around the back way." Mrs. Kakogawa ordered the driver. Kagome watched as her mother poked her head out the window to ensure no one was watching them. The driver stopped in front of the back entrance to the mansion that the servants usually used.

"Now listen carefully Kagome, I'm going to go in and see if your father is home. If he isn't then I'll get all of the other servants to the front of the mansion and you can bring it in. But, if your father is home then we'll have to leave it out here. We don't have much time before the servants get suspicious so if your father isn't home I'll wave you in so keep an eye on the doorway. Understand?" Kagome's mother instructed, her eyes narrowing and a migraine growing in her already aching head.

"Yes, but what if father is home? Will you just not come back down?" Kagome asked, the fear growing inside of her. It was obvious that her father would get angry if he knew of her mother's plan. Kagome could already feel the beating she would get if he found out.

"If…if he's home I'll come and get you." Mrs. Kakogawa answered. With those words she quickly climbed out of the carriage and called for the driver to sweep the front steps. Kagome watched her mother disappear inside. Kagome let out a long sigh as she sat back into her seat. Kagome's attention was immediately drawn down to Inuyasha, who was still lying on the floor. Her brow knit together with pity for him. 'He has to be in pain right now.' She thought.

"Um…Here I'll help you up, I mean with your wounds you shouldn't be like this… I mean you'll only get hurt more right?" Kagome stuttered as she went to kneel beside him. Kagome watched as Inuyasha slowly nodded his head and began to attempt to sit himself upright. His attempt, though, was very unsuccessful and actually led to him falling back onto Kagome. Kagome let out a squeak when she felt him fall into her lap. However, all thoughts of fear were drained from her when he tilted his head back and made eye contact. Kagome became entranced with the golden eyes that were looking straight through her; she could feel his gaze all over, even though he was only looking into her eyes. Inuyasha quickly averted his gaze and went back to trying to right himself.

"Um…here…" Kagome muttered as she helped him into a sitting position. Once Inuyasha was upright he bent his head in submission and scooted away from Kagome. Kagome could feel her heart breaking as he turned his back to her. She dropped her head and became consumed in the silence. Suddenly her head shot up, she hadn't been watching the doorway! Her mother could have already given the signal and she wouldn't have known! Her mind raced through the punishment that she would receive and tears began to well up in her eyes. 'Wait! I couldn't see the doorway because I was sitting sideways but Inuyasha was facing the door the whole time!' Kagome realized.

"Did you see?? Did you see my mom? Could you see the window? Did she wave?" Kagome asked in a hurried and desperate voice as she reached out to Inuyasha's shoulder.

"Uh…I'm sorry but I couldn't see the doorway." Inuyasha answered looking back at her. Kagome's face fell, her heart sank, and she began to tremble. What would her mother do? What would happen to her? What if her father found out!? How many times would he hit her?!? Kagome asked herself all of these unanswerable questions. Suddenly she felt Inuyasha move under her hand. Kagome lifted her face to see that he had turned himself around towards her, and although he wasn't making eye contact Kagome felt better somehow, like someone was finally on her side.

"Kagome! Hurry we need to hide it!" Mrs. Kakogawa's hissed as she flung open the door. Kagome turned to face her mother and quickly pulled her hand away from Inuyasha.

"What's going on mom?" Kagome asked as she stood and started to exit the carriage. Her mother didn't seem angry but rather fearful and that could only mean one thing, her father was home!

"Your father is home! But we can't leave it here! He insists on going out tonight and needs the carriage! We have to put it in the cellar! Quick!" Kagome's mother explained as she began to drag Inuyasha out of the carriage.

"Good he didn't leave any blood stains." Mrs. Kakogawa said, relief beginning to flood her voice, "Now quick go and open the cellar and then go inside to greet your father!" Kagome's mother ordered. Kagome ran around the side of the barn and began to pull at the locks surrounding the cellar doors. She thanked any god that she could that they never used the cellar and therefore didn't lock it. She pushed the unused chains aside and pulled the doors open. Mrs. Kakogawa rounded the barn as Kagome looked up. Kagome's face fell when she saw how her mother was more so dragging Inuyasha than leading him.

"Move!" Kagome's mother ordered as she brought Inuyasha to the cellar. Kagome couldn't believe it, she really didn't want to, but her own eyes betrayed her and imprinted the image of her mother kicking Inuyasha down into the cellar. Kagome gasped in horror as she watched him roll helplessly down the steps and land with a shattering thud onto the dirt floor. Kagome was frozen in place, she heard Inuyasha's grunts and whimpers of pain from down below and she wanted nothing more than to run to him and help him. However, Mrs. Kakogawa was already shutting the doors and putting the chains back in place before Kagome could say or do anything.

"What are you standing here for?!? Go and greet your father before he suspects something!" Mrs. Kakogawa shouted at Kagome, venom coating her words. Kagome's face fell and she turned on her heel to obey her mother's orders. Kagome pushed the tears back into her eyes and prepared herself to give a breathtaking performance of happiness to her father.


	4. Chapter 4

It hurt, everything hurt. Even things that shouldn't have feeling hurt. Inuyasha gasped as he tried to move his body. He cringed in pain when his leg hit something made of stone. 'It figures… It just figures…' he thought to himself with a deep sigh. 'At least it's better than the whore house or the holding cell…' Inuyasha thought trying to keep himself from slipping to far into his dark thoughts.

In truth the Kakogawa's unused filthy cellar was more accommodating than his previous quarters. In the whore house he had been forced to sleep with both women and men who had a fetish for giving pain, Inuyasha shivered at his memories. During the day he had been put into a small metal cage with other demons. Inuyasha recalled how the bars had felt against his skin, so cold that he swore they burned. He tried to push those harsh three years out of his head. Before his imprisonment he had been a laborer on a farm in the southern country. It hadn't been paradise but it was as close as he had ever gotten. The sun prickling his back, the feel a hard day's work done right, the smell of roasting meat on an open fire, and of courses his mother's smile. All of these things Inuyasha visited in his head as he lay on the wet dirt floor. He could feel the tears threatening to come to life when he thought about his mother's embrace when he had been a child. He stopped his train of thought and turned to the present. Inuyasha was down but he wasn't out, he wouldn't let them see him cry.

The next thought that caressed his mind was her. Kagome was it? At least that was what the other woman had been yelling. Inuyasha's mind drifted until he was back on the salty cobblestone street with her soft hand gliding over his cheek. He inhaled deeply trying to find some of her scent on his body. It was there, the very faint smell of apple blossoms. He let his mind wander back to when he had been lying in her lap, how good it had felt to have something so soft to lay on, how wonderful it felt to be held. Inuyasha began to wriggle around again trying to right himself in the dark space. He didn't sense anyone else in the cellar, except a few mice.

"Was it too good to be true?" Inuyasha asked the mice in a whisper. Were her touch and kindness too good for him? From what he had gathered in the holding cell he was supposed to teach her about the bedroom. Inuyasha found this very odd, why hire a slave to do a husband's job? The family seemed well off so surly she could get a husband easily enough. Inuyasha's head began to pound; he couldn't tell if it was from the fall down the stairs or the lack of food that was now making thought impossible for him. His stomach let out an unearthly sound and he could feel it contracting, causing him even more pain. He grumbled and sat.

"Why is she still here?" Inuyasha asked the silence. Why was she haunting his thoughts with her warm hands and soft words? Why wouldn't Kagome leave him alone?

"I just can't… I don't want to…I'm not strong enough to lose someone again…" Inuyasha said to himself as he gave into the tears. He couldn't have hope; hope was for those that could afford it. The last time he had tried to steal hope his life had changed forever, the last time he had lost everything.

Kagome ran down the hall as fast as she could. Her father had just left with her mother for a night out with some higher class friends. The invitation had been last minute and of course her mother would never miss an opportunity to increase her social standing, she had insisted that they attend. After her father had boarded the carriage Mrs. Kakogawa had pulled Kagome aside and instructed her to get Inuyasha upstairs and into Kagome's bedroom. Kagome had blushed bright pink, but it was nothing compared to the tomato red she turned when her mother told her to start learning for Inuyasha tonight. With that her parents were off and the servants were all given jobs that kept them away from the barn and back stairway. Kagome turned her attention back to her feet, being sure not to trip down the stairs that she was already stumbling down.

Ever since Kagome had seen Inuyasha fall down the stairs she hadn't been able to get her attention anywhere else. She had put on a good show for her father, a nice bright smile and even a few laughs. But inside she was worrying herself to death about Inuyasha. Was he alright? Did he break anything? Were his wounds torn open even more? Was he even conscious? However, Kagome's worries had since then shifted from Inuyasha's health to the agenda that her mother had planned for her and Inuyasha. What is she thinking? How am I supposed to do this? Will it hurt? Kagome fretted herself all the way outside until she was staring at the cellar doors. She shook her head clear of her worries and took a deep breath as she began to move the unused locks and chains aside.


	5. Chapter 5

Kagome ran down the hall as fast as she could. Her father had just left with her mother for a night out with some higher class friends. The invitation had been last minute and of course her mother would never miss an opportunity to increase her social standing, she had insisted that they attend. After her father had boarded the carriage Mrs. Kakogawa had pulled Kagome aside and instructed her to get Inuyasha upstairs and into Kagome's bedroom. Kagome had blushed bright pink, but it was nothing compared to the tomato red she turned when her mother told her to start learning for Inuyasha tonight. With that her parents were off and the servants were all given jobs that kept them away from the barn and back stairway. Kagome turned her attention back to her feet, being sure not to trip down the stairs that she was already stumbling down.

Ever since Kagome had seen Inuyasha fall down the stairs she hadn't been able to get her attention anywhere else. She had put on a good show for her father, a nice bright smile and even a few laughs. But inside she was worrying herself to death about Inuyasha. Was he alright? Did he break anything? Were his wounds torn open even more? Was he even conscious? However, Kagome's worries had since then shifted from Inuyasha's health to the agenda that her mother had planned for her and Inuyasha. What is she thinking? How am I supposed to do this? Will it hurt? Kagome fretted herself all the way outside until she was staring at the cellar doors. She shook her head clear of her worries and took a deep breath as she began to move the unused locks and chains aside.

The doors were heavier than she remembered, 'but I suppose I was running on adrenaline then…' she said to herself as she got ready to pull the doors open. Kagome closed her eyes and pulled open the doors. She slowly opened her eyes to find that she couldn't see a thing in the cellar below. The sun was already almost gone from the sky and the shadows were starting to claim their domain.

"Hello? Inu…Inuyasha are you… are you down there?" Kagome stuttered out as she tried to see through the darkness with no prevail. There was no answer from the darkness below. Kagome gulped, 'Maybe he's really hurt, I can't leave him down there…' she told herself trying her best to muster up her courage. She gulped again and tried to take a deep breath, which turned into a shallow one, as she started to descend into the dark cellar.

Kagome moved at a snail's pace down the stairs, telling herself that it was just because she didn't want to trip. Her heart jumped out of her chest each time the ancient stairs let out a low squeak from under her weight.

"Inuyasha? You are down here right? Please answer me…" Kagome asked the darkness. She had reached the bottom of the stairs and now started to inch forward along the dirt floor, trying to avoid bumping into anything. Kagome swore that her breathing was loud enough to wake the dead and if that didn't then her overactive heart beats would. Just as she was about to try and find a wall to guide her she caught her foot on something hard and fell to the ground. However, Kagome didn't get a chance to feel the hard floor's wrath because she landed on something else.

"Ugh!" Inuyasha's grumbled as he felt a body come toppling down on him. He grudgingly opened his eyes and adjusted himself to the dim light. He was lying on his back in a very uncomfortable position, what with his hands being chained behind him, and it smelt like a bag of apple blossoms had been dropped onto his chest. Inuyasha drifted in and out of his tear induced sleep. He was just about to roll onto his side when the bag of apple blossoms started to move around on top of him. Suddenly the bag jumped off of him with a shrill squeak and proceeded to fall over again. 'Wait a second, bags don't jump' Inuyasha's conscious said as it tried to drag him awake. With a few grumbles Inuyasha righted himself and sat up. Although he couldn't see very well in the dark his other senses allowed him to pinpoint exactly where the apple blossom scent was coming from.

"Inuyasha? P…Plea…Please tell me it's you…" a shaky voice said. Inuyasha was now fully conscious. 'The only person I know that smells like apple blossoms is… Kagome…' Inuyasha thought to himself. He could hear her fumbling around in the dark; her breathing was short and panicked. Inuyasha realized that he hadn't answered her.

"It's me." Inuyasha said as he began to scoot closer to her trying to figure out what she wanted and what she was doing down in the pitch black cellar. Masters rarely ever went looking for slaves by themselves and they certainly never went to so much trouble over one. Inuyasha cocked his head as he reached Kagome's side. She spun around quickly, trying to right herself in the endless dark, and bumped into his arm. Inuyasha watched as she pulled back and covered her head, crouching low to the ground. 'She was scared?' Inuyasha asked himself. 'Maybe she doesn't like the dark' he thought.

"Do you want to leave?" Inuyasha asked craning is head towards her shivering body. Kagome's head shot up and turned towards his voice.

"Yes! Can you see where the stairs are? I don't know where anything is and…I just don't…" Kagome stuttered trying to keep the tears out of her voice. Inuyasha watched as she slowly lifted her hand towards him. Inuyasha moved his body so that she would touch his shoulder. Her hand was cold and shaky. 'Could she really hate the dark so much? Then why didn't she send a servant down here?' Inuyasha asked himself as he began to stand. She followed suit and soon Inuyasha was walking towards the rotting smell of the stairs. He could feel Kagome's tight grip on his shoulder, as though if she didn't hang on he might disappear.

"Here" Inuyasha said as reached the bottom of the stairs. He watched as Kagome poked her head out from behind him and into the silvery light coming from the moon that now hung in the sky.

He wasn't sure why, maybe it was the lack of sleep and food, he really couldn't understand it, maybe he had lost to much blood, but for some reason when he saw Kagome in the moonlight his heart skipped a beat. The way her face suddenly became illuminated, how her dark hair sparkled in the light, and most importantly how she turned and smiled at him.


	6. Chapter 6

Kagome felt her heart leap from her chest as soon as she saw the bright moon. She let her tensed muscles unwind as she let out a sigh of relief. For the first time all day she felt herself fully relax and a smile caress her lips. 'It's all thanks to him' Kagome thought as she turned to thank Inuyasha for helping her. However, the moment her eyes landed on him her face contorted into horror. His body was scratched and bruised all over with clumps of dirt and blood stuck in his hair and clothing. Kagome tried to calm herself when she saw his reaction to her gasp. His eyes fell and he turned his face away from her. She could see a tight frown gripping its way into his facial features.

"Are you…are you okay Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she reached out to touch him. Her hand fell on his shoulder and she felt him shudder under her feather-light touch. He nodded slowly, still not looking up at her. 'He must be in pain from all of those scrapes and bruises, not to mention those dreadful chains!' Kagome thought as she survived his wounds.

"I know! Inuyasha come inside and you can have a bath! It will get rid of the dirt and help sooth your wounds." Kagome explained excitedly as she began to lead him out of the cellar. Inuyasha's head shot up at her excitement, 'Huh? She's going to let me bathe?' He asked himself, confusion spreading over his face. At first his heart skipped a beat at the thought that she might care for him. However, it fell like a heavy stone when he remembered why he was here. 'Of course she wants be to bathe, she wouldn't want to do it when I'm filthy like this…' Inuyasha thought. It wasn't so much that he was sad about the bath but more about the event s to come after. He felt a shudder run down his spine when he thought of his previous 'partners', whips, chains, and their laughter at his humiliation. Inuyasha let his face fall as Kagome led him inside of the house. It would be the same, no matter what was said it would always be the same. He cursed himself for having ever thought differently.

"Okay, we just need to go up these stairs…" Kagome said as she turned and started to slowly ascend the stairway. Inuyasha followed quietly, his emotions weighing him down. Once Kagome reached to top of the stairs she led Inuyasha into a large bedroom with and adjoined bath.

"This is my room, and here you can take a bath and we can get you're wounds wrapped." Kagome explained as she went over to a small cabinet and pulled out a towel and a small medicine box. She was just about to hand him the towel and box when she suddenly realized that his hands were still tied.

"Oh, um…I…um, how about I take off the chains?" Kagome asked as she slowly stepped towards him. Inuyasha's head shot up, 'She was going to take the chains OFF?' he screamed mentally. None of his previous master had ever offered this. He watched her closely as she stared at his neck and approached. Kagome glanced up at Inuyasha's face to find the most perplexed expression.

"Um, can I…Can I take them off? Or…or… I mean should I? It would help you right?" Kagome asked as she began step back.

"No! I mean…Yes… It would help me…" Inuyasha said as he slowly lowered his head.

"Oh, that's good! From the look on your face I thought it was going to hurt you or something." She said letting a smile grace her face as she walked behind him and began to fiddle with the binds on his wrists. Inuyasha felt his hands hang at his sides as the binds came loose. 'How long has it been since I've felt my hands at my sides?' He asked himself. He lifted them high above his head and stretched out his back, several cracks could be heard as he let out a satisfied groan. He turned to thank Kagome but when he turned around she was nowhere to be found. Inuyasha spun around and quickly found her huddled in a nearby corner shaking slightly.

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked as he took a step towards her.

"I'm, I'm fine it just, well it just kind of scared me when you moved so quick, and made that noise." Kagome stuttered as she tried to hide her fear with a laugh. Inuyasha stopped moving and knelt down bowing his head. 'Of course I scared her! But it just felt so good to move my arms again.' Inuyasha thought.

"I am sorry for frightening you master." He said in a flat voice. Kagome shook her head and slowly rose from her crouched position into a standing one. She stepped closer to him and bent down in front of him, her hands moving slowly towards his neck.

At first Inuyasha pulled back slightly, fearing a nasty punishment was to come, but instead her soft, warm fingers moved their way around to the lock on his collar.

"What are…you…?" Inuyasha asked in confusion as she grappled with the lock. Kagome stopped instantly when he spoke and looked up at him. Her whole face glowed red as she realized how close she was to him. His eyes are her trapped in their golden gaze like a snake charming a mouse.

"Am I…Isn't this hurting you too? I can see the blood from where it rubbed your skin wrong..." Kagome asked as she began to pull her hands back.

"No…well I mean if you want to remove it master…" Inuyasha answered returning his head to a downward position. Kagome didn't even need time to think about it; of course she was going to remove the collar! It was hurting him! Her hands glided back over the lock, yet she could see no way of unlocking it without having some kind of key. The chains on his hands had been easy enough to remove; they were just twisted together but the collar, the collar didn't look like it was coming off anytime soon. Kagome let out a sigh.

"Inuyasha, do you know how to open the lock here? I think we need some kind of key but we don't have one…" Kagome explained as she fiddled with the lock again. Inuyasha's head slowly rose to look her in the eye.

"You are the key." He said as he gazed at her. Kagome's train of thought stopped as soon as their eyes met. Inuyasha dropped his eyes and then the words sounded in her head. 'I'm the key? What does that mean?' She asked herself. However, no sooner had that thought been formed in her mind when a small flash of light shone from where her finger and the lock touched. The lock dropped off as well as the collar, giving a loud 'Thunk' as they hit the ground. Kagome pulled away quickly and tried to calm herself down. Inuyasha stood up once the collar was removed and lifted his arms to rub around his shoulders and neck. She heard him let out quite a few relieved sighs and groans as he stretched. Something shiny hanging around his neck caught her eye. When she took a closer look she could see that it was a necklace made from purple beads with the occasional odd claw shaped bead every so often.

"Master?" Inuyasha asked as he looked down a Kagome. She quickly stood up and brushed the dirt off of her dress.

"Oh. Yes, well, um, here!" she said handing him the towel, "You can get washed up now." She said trying to stay calm. Inuyasha bowed, took the towel, and headed for the bathroom. Kagome let pout a sigh of relief when he closed the door.

"What was that?" She asked the empty room. Kagome thought back to when she had 'opened' the collar. In that very second the entire feeling of the room changed, something had been released. She shuddered as she sat down on her bed. 'Was that Inuyasha's aura?' She asked herself, the fear creeping in her face.

"It was so…powerful" Kagome said as she let her body relax a little. How come she could suddenly feel it? Was it the collar? What had she unleashed?


	7. Chapter 7

Kagome fell back on her bed with an exasperated sigh. Her mind swam with thoughts about Inuyasha. She shook her head and closed her eyes. Her mind began to retrace her day, 'If that really was his aura then he…he is very powerful…but how powerful?' Kagome asked herself. She remembered the feelings of being stuck in the cellar and how happy she had been when Inuyasha had led her out. She let a small smile creep over her lips at the thought of his kindness. Then her face turned sour when she thought of how her mother had treated him earlier. She slowly opened her eyes to a dark room. Kagome let her mind rewind to the painful carriage ride and the awkward meeting…

"Ahh!" Kagome screamed as she jumped off the bed and ran to the corner positioning herself in a defensive stance. 'That's right I have to do _that_ with him!!' She screamed internally as her face fell. No sooner had the thought left her mind than the bathroom door swung open. At first Kagome couldn't see anything because of the sudden light and steam that filled the bathroom doorway.

"What?? Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as he stepped towards her. She was not only shaking because of the thought that had driven her into the corner but also because she once again felt that threatening aura creeping around her. She closed her eyes and buried her face into the wall, allowing fear to take over.

"Are you hurt?" Inuyasha asked as he approached her. He reached out and put a clawed hand on her shoulder, pulling her out of her curled position. Kagome gasped as he spun her around to face him. However, that couldn't prepare her for what happened next, suddenly Inuyasha's hands were on her face pulling it up to look him in the eye. Kagome's body went limp when she met his eyes.

"Ah? What?!? Hey don't do that! Seriously are you sick or…?" Inuyasha half screamed half asked as Kagome began to fall forward. He caught her in his arms and brought her over to the bed.

"Ah! N-no! I mean…I'm not hurt…I just…I…" Kagome stuttered as she pushed herself up off of the bed quickly. Kagome turned away from him and tried to let her breathing slow down. Suddenly she felt him leaning over her and she swiftly turned around ready to defend herself. However, her fear turned into awe when she looked at him in the moonlight. Now, it wasn't only the fact that a half naked man who was dripping wet was crouching over her that made Kagome's eyes go wide but also the fact that this half naked man didn't have a scratch on him. 'B-but…he was covered head to toe in injuries!' Kagome though in disbelief as she looked him over, but sure enough her eyes hadn't fooled her.

"W-why are yo-you…? Wha-what happened to your injuries!?" Kagome asked the fear building in her voice as she took several steps back.

"Huh?" Inuyasha asked, cocking his head to the side, "What do you mean? You're the one who unlocked the collar." He stated with confusion on his face.

"Th-the collar?" Kagome asked, her head turning to look at the discarded piece of metal not three feet from her.

"Yeah…You do know about the collar? I mean you've had demons before right?" He asked, frustration starting to build in his voice.

"N-no never!" Kagome shouted back as if he had just accused her of murder.

"Huh? Really?" Inuyasha asked pulling back in surprise, "But I mean…the trader told you right?" He asked trying to figure out just how much she knew.

"Who? Trader?" Kagome asked, her head was starting to spin and she felt herself fall forward. Inuyasha wrapped her in his arms and sat her once again down on the bed.

"You really don't know anything?" He asked as he loomed over her.

"N-No! I…I just…I don't know!" She said as she attempted to get off the bed and away from him. However, her attempt was in vain because no sooner had she begun to stand that Inuyasha's arm forced her back down.

"So then you really don't know?" He asked. Kagome nodded and tried to stand again, he pushed her back down to sit on the bed.

"Okay," He sighed, "I guess I have to explain it. Just sit still okay? You don't look so good anyway." He said as he stood and grabbed the collar off of the ground, "This is what the traders use to bind the powers of demons. It makes us just like humans as far as strength and healing go. However, when it is removed we gain back our powers." Inuyasha explained. Kagome nodded slowly as he looked at her to see if she understood. "Only a human can remove it, though."

"So then you…you have all of your powers?" Kagome asked in a shaky voice as she scooted further away from him.

"Well yeah, but I still have to listen to you because you're the one who removed the collar. See these beads?" Inuyasha asked as he held up his necklace, "These make sure that I listen to the human who removed the collar." Kagome stopped moving away, but she still refused to let down her guard. Inuyasha sighed when he saw her guarded expression.

"Here, tell me to do something." He said trying to get her to trust him. 'Wait why do I care?' He asked himself. He had no time to decipher his action though before an order left her lips.

"Bring me that towel." She said in a quiet voice. In an instant Inuyasha was standing in front of her with the towel in his hands. Kagome jumped back at first but then she let herself slowly reach out to grasp the towel. 'Can I trust him?' She asked herself. Then her mother's order flashed through her head _"Do it tonight!"_ Kagome shuddered.

"Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked as he bent down to her level. Kagome nodded slowly and whispered something that Inuyasha couldn't quite hear. "What?" He asked as he moved his head closer to her, slowly, trying not to scare her.

"W-we…tonight…m-my mother said…y-you ha-have to te-teach me th-the…" She couldn't bring herself to say it before the tears threatened to spill over.

"You mean sex?" Inuyasha asked as he pulled away, the most nonchalant look hanging from his features. Kagome turned bright red before ducking her head down and nodding slowly. Inuyasha sighed as he lifted the collar up to his neck.

"W-What are you?" Kagome asked as he slipped it around his neck.

"You want me to have this on right?" he asked in confusion. Now it was Kagome's turn to look baffled.

"Do-do you need to wear it to…" she asked, stopping herself before she admitted to what she was about to do with him.

"Well, no but, I mean…do you not mind?" Inuyasha asked as he stopped the collar from clicking shut.

"I-I mean I guess not. I mean it hurts you right?" Kagome asked as she looked up at him. Inuyasha pulled back, 'What kind of trick is she going to pull?' he asked himself as he let the collar drop to the floor. Inuyasha put himself in a defensive position and glared at her, not enjoying the trick she was trying to pull on him. Suddenly she jumped back and screamed. She fell off the bed as she slipped on the silky sheets, landing at his feet. 'Huh? Why is she screaming?' Inuyasha asked, his face going from surprise to worry as she rubbed her head. Kagome immediately tried to get away from him by sliding herself backwards on the floor.

"Wh-Why are you running?!" he screamed at her as she backed into the nightstand. 'She's the one in control! Doesn't she understand!?!' he thought as he got closer to her.

"Pl-please! Please don't hurt me!" Kagome begged as she curled herself into a ball. Inuyasha stopped and pulled away from her. He didn't understand her at all! He wouldn't hurt her! The very thought made him nauseous, he wasn't sure why but he pushed his inner confusion aside and addressed the confusion that was right in front of him.

"Why would I hurt you?!" He half screamed half asked, his frustration bubbling out of his words. She shuddered back and let out a whispered explanation.

"Y-you aura! It it's just too much! It scares me and I just want to get away!" Kagome answered. Inuyasha was astounded, never before had anyone ever told him this; that he was frightening because of his aura. He let himself calm down and then he could feel it, he could feel his aura receding, becoming more docile. 'Huh? This is mine?' he asked himself as he felt the air of the room drain of his frustrated anger. He watched as she slowly stopped shaking and lifted her head up to peak at him.

"I-I won't hurt you. I've just never really had that collar off for more than a few seconds before…I didn't know that I had this kind of…power." Inuyasha said the last word in a whisper. His mind was spinning, he was powerful! He wasn't weak like they had always told him! He felt a smile creep over his lips.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked in a whisper. Inuyasha immediately turned towards her and knelt down on her level. He lifted her onto the bed once more. However, this time he made sure not to scare her. For some reason her scared face and frantic voce had driven him crazy. He didn't want to hear that again. Kagome slowly inclined her face towards him and looked him in the eyes. She felt relief flood her when his glowing golden eyes met hers. She could have sworn that his eyes had started to turn a vicious red earlier. She let the thought fall to the back of her mind once she remembered tonight's agenda. Her face flooded with color and she looked away. Inuyasha leaned over her with a concerned expression hanging from his features. In a flash Kagome was walking away from the bed.

"S-so, we-well I don't know anything about this kind of th-thing. But you can't wear clo-clothes right?" Kagome asked with a weak giggle trying to busy herself with anything that would take her mind off what she was about to do. She faced the wall as she began to unbutton her dress, all the while her hands shaking. Inuyasha watched with a sad expression. He was standing behind her in as second, his hands grasping her arms.

"Ouch!" Kagome yelped as soon as he touched her arms. Inuyasha pulled back. When he did the top of her dress fell and she gasped as her arms flew up to cover her chest. Inuyasha's eyes flew wide when he looked at her back, arms and neck. Rage began to build inside of him, he tried to control himself but he could barely squeeze out a sentence.

"Wh-who did this to you?" he asked, his voice boiling over with fury. He began to shake as he gazed at the bruises that adorned her body. Kagome gasped as she felt his rage slide over her.

"N-no don't get angry! Please I'm sorry I'm not pretty!" She cried as she stood there clutching her chest her battered back face him. Inuyasha let his face fall, 'She's apologizing?' he thought. His anger began to recede, being replaced with sadness and confusion.

"I-I'm not angry at you…" Inuyasha said his voice filled with a deep pain. Kagome twisted around to look at him over her shoulder. Her face was full of confusion and fear. Inuyasha sighed as he let his head drop.

"I'm not angry at you for…this…" he explained as he motioned to her back, "I just want to know who hurt you." He said as Kagome turned her head back.

"I-it's my own fault really," she said letting out a sad laugh, "I didn't listen…It's my fault! If I had just listened to father! Th- then…" Kagome began to cry letting all of the day's tears wash over her. Inuyasha took a step back, shock hanging from his face. 'He-her father?' he thought. Inuyasha clenched his fists and scrunched his face in aguish.

The room remained that way for some time, Kagome crying and Inuyasha shaking. Finally Kagome ran out of tears and she collapsed onto the floor. Inuyasha caught her before she fell completely and pulled her dress back onto her shoulders, buttoning it as he did. He slowly lifted her in his arms, careful not to touch her bruises. Inuyasha laid her on the bed gently and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. She looked completely exhausted. He carefully pulled himself away and tucked her under the covers. Kagome watched him walk away to go and sit in a corner. 'He-he's not going to…?' she thought as she watched him close his eyes. Kagome could feel another wave of tears brimming over her as she watched him.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" she asked quietly. He looked up at her with sad eyes. 'He's suffering…" she thought as she watched him look away. The thought of both of them enduring this pain alone made her tremble.

"Yo-you can sleep here…"She whispered, unable to find any strength. Inuyasha's head shot up at her words. He slowly got up and walked over to the other side of her bed. He lay down quietly and rolled his back to her. Kagome felt her heart fall when he rolled away. But she couldn't keep herself awake any longer, her eyelids begged for closure and she gave in wearily. Inuyasha listened as she fell into a deep sleep. He lay awake listening to her breathing, and he just couldn't stop that tear from rolling down his cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

The morning sun clawed its way through the window in Kagome's room. Inuyasha gave a grunt as it hit is face. He slowly began to stretch all of his muscles. "Wait! Why can I move my arms?!' he asked himself. His eyes flung open and looked around the room. The sun cast an eerie glow over the chains and collar that used to bind him. They were now discarded on the floor. 'That's right last night Kagome…' Inuyasha's head spun around to look at the other side of the bed. And there she was, lying just under the covers. Her black hair was glistening in the morning sun and tear trails stained her face. His eyes narrowed when he thought back to the bruises and scars that had marred her skin. His hand moved of its own accord towards a stray hair that lay near her face.

"Kagome wake up! We have to… KAGOME WHAT ON EARTH?!?" Kagome's mother screamed when she saw the scene before her. Kagome shot up from her sleep and took in her surroundings. Her mother, or at least what she assumed was her mother, she looked more like a demon right then, was shaking her fists and swearing at her.

"Where do you get the nerve!? Do you know how much trouble we'd be in! You stupid, stupid daughter!" Kagome's mother yelled as she stalked towards her daughter. Mrs. Kakogawa grabbed her daughter's arm and threw her to the ground. Sharp fists began to pound at Kagome's back and head.

Inuyasha's face grew from confounded to infuriated in a second. He leapt across the room and pulled Kagome out of her mother's reach.

"How dare you demon!" Kagome's mother yelled. Kagome pushed herself away from Inuyasha and got down on her knees. She began to cry as she bowed to her mother, placing her forehead to the floor. Mrs. Kakogawa stopped screaming at once and instead began to primp herself, returning loose strands of hair to where they belonged and straightening out her gown.

"Kagome you have disappointed me for the last time, do you hear?! Now this is what is going to happen, you are going to put the demon back into its chains. Then you are going to get ready to go out for tea. Then we are going to meet with your father and discuss the preparations for the festival that is going to be held. Then you are going to come back home. You are going to do it with this thing and learn what you can to make your future husband happy! Do you hear me?!" Kagome's mother yelled, "If you aren't even good at pleasing your husband then no one will ever marry you! You will always be known as the Kakogawa girl who was discarded! And we cannot have that tarnishing the family name!" Kagome's mother finished her rant and kicked her daughter's head with the heal of her shoe. "Oh, and before I forget, there was a lovely letter coming from Mr. Broutassen when he heard that you were in need of a husband." Mrs. Kakogawa said as she headed towards the room. Kagome's head shot up in horror. "Of course a little bird had to tell him that you were quite the playmate in bed before he would even hear of a meeting." Kagome's mother added slyly as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Kagome's heart filled with fear. Mr. Broutassen? The man was at least 50 years old! He was well known for favoring young brides and mistresses. Some even gossiped that he liked to hear his bed partners scream! Kagome began to shake. To think that her mother would even consider…no she would consider anything at this point. 'She probably would have even married me to the town drunk if she thought it would improve her stature in society.' Kagome thought.

"Are you…all right?" Inuyasha asked as he bent down to help her up. His face froze when he saw her expression of pure fear and defeat. He slowly wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and picked her up. He brought her over to the bed and set her down gently. Her face was still in shock but he could see that she was slowly coming around. However, he had other things to process right now. 'So that's why they bought me…' he thought to himself. He would never have guessed that a mother would buy a demon to teach her virgin daughter how to have sex to satisfy a husband. Wasn't that what the husband should be doing himself? 'But then again her mother did say something about her being discarded… what happened to put her in a situation like this?' He asked himself.

Kagome straightened her body slowly and stood. Her face became expressionless as she went to retrieve to collar and chains from the floor. Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head when he saw her shaking hands grasp the cold metal. She moved slowly towards him and gently put the collar back on, a tiny popping noise and the collar locked itself back up. Inuyasha then stood and put his hands behind his back. Kagome fumbled with the chains, trying to make them loose enough so he could move. As soon as he was locked up again Kagome could feel his presence receding. His aura was once more hidden, locked away by the power of the collar.

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Kagome watched the town move by outside of the carriage window. It had been a long day, longer than any day should ever have to be. She had been thinking about Inuyasha all day. Her mother had forced him to be locked up inside of her closet all day so that the servants could clean the rooms as though nothing had happened.

However, Kagome had gotten very odd looks from the servants all morning on account of her mother screaming at her that morning. She thanked any god that she could that they had not heard the conversation, only the muffled screams of their often angry mistress.

The carriage pulled up to the Kakogawa household late in the afternoon. Kagome hurried up to her room to let Inuyasha out of his cramped hiding place. "Kagome! Don't do anything stupid tonight." Mrs. Kakogawa said to Kagome as she reached the stairs.

Inuyasha could feel his muscles crying out for release as he tried to shift his arms in the binds. "It would have been better if she hadn't let me out at all…" he muttered. Now that his body had felt what it was like not to be chained and restricted it longed for it all the more, and it was driving him crazy! He froze when he heard the door open. It clicked shut again and the lock was bolted. Soft footsteps made their way to the closet doors.

Kagome flung open the closet and immediately got to work unchaining Inuyasha's hands. The first thing that she had seen when she opened the door had been his face contorted in pain.

"Thank you" Inuyasha whispered as Kagome began to undo his collar. She dropped the collar on the floor and was immediately hit with his strong aura. She moved herself back to get away from the uneasy feeling it gave her.

Inuyasha watched as she shuddered back in fear. He tried to calm himself down and gradually he got his aura down to calm state. He scooted closer to her on the floor. They both sat there for a few seconds staring at each other until Kagome's face turned a shade of deep red and she looked away.

'Oh my goodness! What was I thinking?! Now it probably looks like I can't wait to do it with him!' Kagome thought as she turned herself away from Inuyasha's confused face.

"I'm going to take a bath!" Kagome abruptly announced as she stood and quickly retreated into the bathroom. Kagome could feel her heart beating out of her chest. So tonight was really the night? The night that she would…with…Inuyasha… She shuddered back to the thought. Not because she was disgusted but because she was scared. Scared of the feeling that she was going to have, scared of him being disgusted with her ugly body, scared of what he would feel like with her. Her mind swam with these thoughts all throughout her bath. When she was finally done she quickly slipped on her silk night gown and looked in the mirror. She checked herself over. Hair, somewhat silky, eyes big and brown, lips small and pink, overall pretty okay she supposed. Her eyes traveled to her shoulders next. She let out a gasp and covered them instantly when she realized that her bruises and several scars could be seen. She frantically ran around her room until she found an over shirt to cover her arms and shoulders. She didn't dare look in the mirror after that.

"Um…I guess…I guess y-you can take one n-now…" Kagome stuttered as she re-entered the room. Inuyasha looked up at her and quietly entered the bathroom. Kagome let out a sigh as he shut the door. Kagome collapsed onto the bed and the worries she had in the bath multiplied themselves in her head until she felt tears welling up.

Inuyasha bathed slowly. He tried to draw out the time as long as he could. His mind kept reeling back to her face, the fear that she had directed towards him, when they were in the same situation last night. With a heavy heart and sad eyes Inuyasha stepped out into the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Inuyasha watched as Kagome shivered when the warm air from the bathroom hit her. Kagome stood father away, her back facing him. Inuyasha didn't say anything as he approached her. He was filled to brim with feelings that he couldn't seem to sort out. He reached out his hand and placed it on her shoulder gently.

"Ah! I mean sorry, I mean, I didn't meant to…" Kagome said in surprise. She had jumped around to face him but was keeping her head down. Inuyasha was overcome with grief, a grief that he couldn't protect her, a grief that he couldn't stop this, and a grief that she was going to have to leave him. His chest stung with this all too familiar pain.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she slowly tilted her head up towards him. Inuyasha looked down at her and he melted. She really was beautiful, a beauty that, for tonight, was his.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha sighed. He stroked her arm with his claws, felling her stiffen under his touch. He didn't want her to be afraid, but couldn't help loving to feeling that he was in control.

In a quick swoop Inuyasha had Kagome lying on the bed, crouching over her. He watched as she realized his intentions.

"Don't worry, I will not hurt you," he said bending down to kiss her forehead.

Inuyasha didn't know where to start; she was like a feast laid out for his taking. Kagome began to shake under him and Inuyasha watched as tears spilled over onto her cheeks.

"Kagome? Are you okay? I didn't mean…" Inuyasha struggled trying to get her to look at him as she covered her face with her hands.

"Please, please don't, just please don't, I'm sorry! I really am sorry!" she choked out as she curled into a ball.

"Why are you apologizing?" Inuyasha asked curling up next to her, his hand reaching over to lie on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm not…not …very pretty…but if you don't look very hard then…then it shouldn't be too bad," Kagome's shaking voice squeaked out. She peeked from behind her hands and gave him a crooked smile, like she was trying to cover up for the tears.

Inuyasha just sat there looking down at her his mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say.

"Why would you think you're not pretty?" he asked, trying to control his confusion and slowly rising anger, he had an idea as to why she thought like this and it made him sick.

"Well…I mean...look at me," Kagome said in a joking manner trying to shrug off her obvious pain, "My, my mom always said that you know, I'm not exactly very….well you know…and then these bruises…" Kagome looked down at the sheets in defeat.

"Those bastards," Inuyasha whispered under his breath, his fists clenching in anger.

"Inuyasha why are you…." Kagome asked as she felt his hate filled aura drip over her, "I really am sorry!" she apologized, thinking that he was angry about her looks. Inuyasha tried to breathe evenly and calm himself, 'those bastards, those damn bastards! How can they call themselves parents?!' he thought. Even though Inuyasha had always thought of humans has horrid creatures he had at least given them the benefit of the doubt when it came to their family ties. He had always thought that, though, humans didn't have morals they would at least take care of their own. He was wrong, the proof was lying right next to him.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked again in a whisper. Inuyasha gazed at her, his brow furrowing with pity for her.

"You are beautiful," Inuyasha said before he crashed his mouth into hers.

The kiss was hot and feral, like nothing that Kagome had ever felt before. The way that Inuyasha moved his tongue across her lips set a blaze through her body. His teeth scratched against her soft lips and pulled them apart so he could reach the inside of her mouth. Kagome gasped when she felt his tongue slide over hers, twisting in horridly wonderful ways against her own.

"Inuyasha," Kagome gasped out as he moved to her ear, licking and scraping his fangs over her. Kagome moaned out strange noises and twisted under his forceful grip on her. Sometime in between licking her neck and biting her lip he had positioned himself on top of her, his hands gripping her wrists lightly. Kagome didn't know what was happening, she could feel her body start to change, to heat up. But, she could also feel him; she could feel Inuyasha's desire soaked aura sliding over them. Every time he licked, bit, or moaned she felt it amplified through his aura.

"Inuyasha…I-I I'm feeling…Ah! So strange…" Kagome moaned out as Inuyasha began to strip her dress and over shirt off. Kagome tried to cover the bruises with her hands, but Inuyasha was too quick. In a second he had her hands pinned to the bed.

Kagome was scared, would he stop now that he had seen them? Would he be so disgusted that he would turn away? She shuddered at those thoughts and clenched her eyes shut.

"So beautiful…so beautiful…my beautiful…" Inuyasha cooed as he bent his head down to kiss each bruise on her arms. Kagome watched in awe, did he really think that? That she was beautiful? 'But why did he say 'my'' Kagome wondered. But, she had little time to think before Inuyasha started his fevered assault on her breasts.

Kagome was now being turned this way and that by Inuyasha's forceful arms. She felt so very small in his arms. Inuyasha bent down to lick at her pink nipples, lathering each one with desire. He then moved down to her heat. Kagome didn't know what was happening, she just felt him moving his hand across her, felt him stretch something she didn't know could be stretched.

"Mine, mine, mine, mine…." Inuyasha murmured into her. Kagome heard him and tried to see what he was doing, what was prompting him to say such things. Then she felt it, the entire room was suddenly bathed in lust. She looked down at Inuyasha who had currently stopped moving, hovering over her chest.

"Inuyasha?" she asked, slowly reaching her hand up to his shoulder. He snapped his head up and glared at her with piercing red eyes. Kagome was frozen with fear, what had happened to him? Why was Inuyasha this way?

Inuyasha suddenly reached down and began a movement that left Kagome breathless. He grabbed hold of her waist and pulled it down to his. Kagome was in a pleasure filled daze when he entered her. At first she thought that someone had torn her in two. His powerful movement into her made her gasp for air and relief. Suddenly a jolt went through her and she felt that same pleasure come crashing through her, every cell in her body drove her to cling to him, to have him move in that way.

Inuyasha's haggard breathing coupled with Kagome's gasping moans in the still night air. Kagome clung to him as she felt a peak in her pleasure, crushing her hands into his back. Kagome felt herself tip over the edge and as she did so a stinging pain came from the base of her neck where she could feel sharp teeth digging into her flesh. The pleasure coupling with the stinging pain brought her over the climax and into a world of sleep.

…

Inuyasha awoke to the sounds of pots being clanged. He sat up and instinctually crouched over the form next to him. 'Wait why am I? And what happened…?' he thought looking down at the figure he had leapt to protect from a false danger. Kagome lie under him, her naked body half exposed to the empty room. He quickly reached down to cover her up completely.

"I guess we really did it…" Inuyasha said to the vacant room. It was weird he didn't remember everything that had happened. He remembered her naked beneath him, withering in a way that made him want to re-in act the embrace of the night before. He glanced down at her and moved some of her hair behind her ear, that was when he saw it, the scar of a bite at the base of her neck. What had he done?


	10. Chapter 10

Shit. It was the word that kept passing through Inuyasha's mind at the moment. The situation before him, shit. The outcome of his actions, shit. And worst of all the way that she would act when she found out.

"Shit!" Inuyasha swore. He curled himself up into a ball and slid away from Kagome's sleeping form. How could he have done this? How could he not remember doing this? Inuyasha's mind was a storm of questions and confusion. Suddenly Kagome moved in her sleep, her brow furrowing.

'Damn, I forgot I have to keep my emotions under control with the collar off...' he thought as he tried to calm himself.

"Okay sort out the facts…" Inuyasha whispered to the morning air. First he and Kagome had had sex the night before. A shudder ripped through Inuyasha's spine when he thought of this, but he pushed those memories aside, for now. Second, at sometime in the night he had lost some kind of control and ended up marking her. And third, by all demon rights and morals she was now his mate.

Shit. That word just wouldn't go away. How could he have been so reckless? Inuyasha hit himself in the head and buried his face farther into his hands. He wanted to disappear to take it back, but it was too late, his body had already proven that. After all, the very first thing he had done when he awoke was to check on her, just as a mate would.

Inuyasha had seen other mated demons interact before. When he lived on the farm in the south country there had been many mated demon couples, but he had never thought of himself as ever being capable of even trying to claim a mate. Yet here he was, lying next to a human girl who bore his mating mark.

"Figures," Inuyasha whispered letting a sad laugh escape his lips, "I'm just like my old man, with a taste for humans…" Inuyasha had never really known his father. His mother had told him that his father was killed before Inuyasha was even born. He never learned how to deal with mating or even properly interacting with females to consummate a mating. How? How could he have been so stupid…she wasn't his for the taking…she would never be his.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked as she slowly opened her eyes. Absentmindedly she rubbed her neck where a stiff pain was radiating its way up her throat.

"Are you okay Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. He tried to help her sit up but he was having a hard time thinking straight while she rubbed his mating mark. Should he tell her? Should he somehow tell Kagome that he had mated her? No. It wasn't his place; it would never be his place to be beside her. 'Besides it's just a mark right? It didn't really mean anything right?' Inuyasha asked himself, hoping his assumptions were correct.

"Inuyasha? What is wrong? You look…" Kagome began but then she looked down and noticed her lack of clothing. A heated blush worked its way up Kagome's face as she tried to pull the tangled covers over herself. 'What happened last night?' Kagome asked herself as she tried to curl into a ball and sort through what had transpired last night. 'We did it….we really did it…I'm not a virgin anymore…Inuyasha has my virginity…' she blushed a shade darker before she heard footsteps outside of her door.

"Kagome, I am coming in." Kagome's mother stated. These words may have seemed like a way for Mrs. Kakogawa to give Kagome some privacy but in reality it was Mrs. Kakogawa's way of giving her daughter a warning. A warning that if things were not as she wanted them in the room when she entered then Kagome was going to pay.

Heeding her mother's implied threat Kagome jumped up, only to fall down to the floor. However, before she could hit the hard wood Inuyasha's arms wrapped about her and pulled her back against his body.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Kakogawa asked through the door, a strain coming into her voice.

"Just a second mother!" Kagome shouted hoping that the worry in her own voice would delay her mother's entrance into her room. Kagome's mind suddenly realized how close her and Inuyasha's bodies were, and how naked. Kagome felt so embarrassed. But why should she? Hadn't he seen her naked the night before? Kagome tried to push that overwhelming thought out of her head. And she had seen him naked too; her legs went weak from her memories of him.

She tried to move away from him, to put some distance not only between them but between her memories of him as well, and towards her closet to get some clothes on but her legs once again failed her and she stumbled forwards. What was wrong with her legs? Kagome wondered.

"Sorry," Inuyasha said trying to steady her, "last night I was a bit too rough…"

Kagome turned about ten shades redder than a tomato in a second. Her mind was suddenly overcome with the memories of the night before and her legs fell to the floor and trembled.

"Kagome! In three second I will open this door!" Mrs. Kakogawa shouted through the door. Kagome was hit with reality. In a flash Inuyasha set her down on the bed and handed her the night dress from the night before. As Kagome tried to dress quickly she watched as Inuyasha out the collar back on himself and twisted the chains around his hands before climbing back into the closet.

Kagome was hit with a wave of hurt; a hurt for Inuyasha, a hurt for the fact that the wonderful man who had been so kind to her was forced into a binding by her own mother, and a hurt that she could not help him.

"Kagome! If you do not open this door then I'll…" Mrs. Kakogawa warned as Kagome stumbled towards the door.

"Sorry Mother! I didn't mean to make you wait. I was just trying to…. umm… to be…" Kagome stammered, trying to hold herself up despite her worn out legs and the aching of her hips.

"Oh, Shut up! My god Kagome!" Mrs. Kakogawa scolded as she shut the door and dragged her daughter into the bathroom, pushing Kagome down onto the stool in front of the mirror.

"Mother? What?" Kagome asked before she looked into the mirror. Mrs. Kakogawa had a disgusted look dripping from her up turned face.

"What? You dare ask me what? Just look in the fucking mirror you stupid little whore!" Mrs. Kakogawa screamed wrenching her daughter's face to the side and forcing her head up.

"Ouch!" Kagome flinched when her mother touched the sore spot on her neck. Kagome then looked in the mirror and saw what her mother had been exclaiming about. At the base of Kagome's neck there was a large bruise with an outline of sharp marks surrounding the inflamed flesh.

"How?" Kagome asked her reflection, wondering when she had hurt herself in the night. Kagome let the blush slide over her face as she ran through the events of the previous night. She was instantly glad that she was sitting down because the memories made her legs shake.

"What do you mean 'how'? You idiot! You fucking let that damned mutt give you a hicky!" Mrs. Kakogawa shrieked. In an instant Kagome was thrown to the ground and she felt her mother's shoe grinding into her hand. There was a sickening twist as the sound of ripping flesh flowed from Kagome's hand.

"Please! I'm so sorry mother! I didn't know! I'm sorry!" Kagome sobbed out as Mrs. Kakogawa kept rubbing the sharp heel of her shoe into Kagome's now open wound.

"Fine then! Now clean yourself up, you look like a disgrace." Mrs. Kakogawa said as she walked out of Kagome's room. "Oh, and before I forget be sure to wear that pink dress today. Mr. Broutassen is meeting us for dinner and he loves to see girls in pink. And be sure to cover up that mark on your neck! I don't think that Mr. Broutassen would want to see it tonight."

"Wait, you mean tonight… with Mr. Broutassen…I'm going to…" Kagome could barely get a sentence out before Mrs. Kakogawa gave her a smug glare and nodded as she left the room. 'I have to have sex with Mr. Broutassen… Tonight…' Kagome said to herself. She went white as a sheet before the throbbing pain of her hand brought her back to the current situation.

Kagome felt like she was having an out of body experience. She could see herself in the mirror doing what her mother had told her to do, but at the same time Kagome couldn't process that any of it was happening. It wasn't until she was walking past her closet door to get the pink dress that she felt the cold trill of reality seep through her veins.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked the tears already beginning to fall from her eyes. A shuffling sound came from the closet door and Inuyasha poked his head out.

Inuyasha had been fighting with himself the entire time that Kagome's mother had been in the room. He wanted to burst out of the closet and kill that retched woman! He wanted to hurt her! To hear her beg for mercy from a 'mutt' like him! But he didn't. The rational side of him had one out once it reminded him that if he hurt that woman Kagome would in some way be punished. But, when the smell of Kagome's blood and the sound of her skin ripping had drifted to him Inuyasha went stiff. His body was no longer his. In a second he felt his muscled tighten and his breathing stop, he felt the power that the collar was supposed to suppress begin to rise. However, the collars that the demons wore weren't just for show. While Inuyasha felt his power trying to overcome the binds at the same time the power of the collar easily overwhelmed his attempts. In a second he was gasping from his internal fight against the collar. It was clear that there was no way he would be able to overcome it.

"Fine then! Now clean yourself up, you look like a disgrace. Oh, and before I forget be sure to wear that pink dress today. Mr. Broutassen is meeting us for dinner and he loves to see girls in pink. And be sure to cover up that mark on your neck! I don't think that Mr. Broutassen would want to see it tonight." That woman's words flitted into the stale air and choked Inuyasha's thoughts. Everything in his mind stopped. All he could think of was his Kagome being taken by another male. Again something buried inside him tried to free itself but the collar concealed it. Inuyasha didn't know what was wrong with him. 'Didn't I always know that she wouldn't be mine? Wasn't I expecting this from the start?' Inuyasha asked himself. What had changed? The mark. Was this the power of the mating mark? Inuyasha had little time to think, though, before the soft angle's voice of his mate called to him.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked again letting her legs go limp as she fell to the floor. This time there were no arms there to catch her as she slipped down onto her knees.


	11. Chapter 11

Inuyasha watched as Kagome broke in front of him. Her body shook with tremors that Inuyasha wished he stop, but the cold chains around his arms brought him back to the harsh reality that he couldn't help her.

The room was silent. The kind of silent that means more than words can express. Kagome had stopped crying but it was clear that she was far from stable. Inuyasha kept his head down, his face crumpled under remorse for the girl before him.

"Kagome get out here! We have a lunch with your aunt!" Mrs. Kakogawa screamed up the steps. In a flash Kagome was standing and walking to the door. Inuyasha watched as she stepped out into the hallway. Her face blank and her body moving of another person's will. The door shut softly behind her ghostly form.

Inuyasha let his head come back up. It made a light thud as it hit the back of the closet. His vision became blurry and his cheeks ran wet.

"Must be something wrong with the room," he whispered, "everything is blurry. Everything is just so blurry, so fucked up and blurry." The tears he refused to acknowledge slid over his face and dove for the floor creating a pool where Inuyasha poured his fears, drowning them with his denial.

…

"My, my Kagome you have _grown_ very well." Mr. Broutassen commented at the long dinner table where Mr. and Mrs. Kakogawa sat trading bits of gossip. Every now and then Mrs. Kakogawa would shoot her daughter a glare urging Kagome to smile at Mr. Broutassen and flirt back with him. Kagome didn't know what she was doing. She didn't even remember most of the day. Mr. Broutassen had met her and her mother in front of the Kakogawa estate for dinner and ever since Mrs. Kakogawa had been urging her daughter to get along with Mr. Broutassen.

"When I saw you last you were barley twelve, though to be honest," He whispered, "I wish we could have done this then…" Mr. Broutassen trailed off letting his hand slip to her thigh in the chair next to his. Kagome tensed up and tried her best to just sit still, just stay still and do what she was supposed to.

"Well dinner was wonderful darling." Mr. Kakogawa said as he stood up, "I'm going to retire to my study for now. Mr. Broutassen I hope that you have a good evening."

"Don't worry dear." Mrs. Kakogawa said shooing her husband out the door.

"Yes, Mrs. Kakogawa that dinner was delicious." Mr. Broutassen said as he scooted his empty dessert plate down the table and away from his overhanging belly. His hand squeezed Kagome's thigh once more before he stood up to go and smoke on the veranda.

"Okay Kagome so far everything has worked out perfectly! Now Mr. Broutassen is going to spend the night and you are to do anything that he asks of you! If all goes well you will be married by the end of the month, but only is he feels satisfied tonight, do you understand?" Mrs. Kakogawa said as she smoothed Kagome's hair and pinched her cheeks to add color.

"I understand mother." Kagome answered her voice dry and shaky. 'Just stay still, just don't move, don't think, don't even breath' Kagome told herself as she and her mother walked up to Kagome's bedroom.

"Damn! You didn't get rid of the demon? What if Mr. Broutassen sees it! We'd be ruined!" Kagome's mother gasped. In an instant Kagome shot back into a conscious state. 'Inuyasha' she thought. The name rang a deep warm bell in her chest and brought life back to her limbs.

"Mrs. Kakogawa, May I come up?" Mr. Broutassen asked from the bottom of the stairs, his voice laced with a lustful tone.

"Oh! Just a second Mr. Broutassen, we're just…um… getting Kagome ready! Yes! This silly girl spilled some water on her dress! Clumsy little thing!" Mrs. Kakogawa lied in a strong voice.

"I'll be waiting." Mr. Broutassen answered back, his tone taking an impatient turn.

"Okay we can't take it back down to the cellar, there's no other door out and Mr. Broutassen is blocking our only way! Damn just lock the closet door and leave it here!" Mrs. Kakogawa ordered shoving Kagome's dress off of her shoulders and throwing it into Inuyasha's face before she slammed the closet and locked the door.

"But, Mother!" Kagome began reaching for the door handles on the closet. 'How could her mother even think that this was acceptable? Hadn't Kagome already done so much? Hell, she was about to have sex with a man three times her age! Was it really necessary for the man who had only last night taken her virginity to be in the same room as the perverted old man had his way with her?'

"Shut the fuck up! I've had enough! Now get on your silk robe and lay in the bed! Do not upset Mr. Broutassen! Do not degrade this family any more than you already have!" With that Mrs. Kakogawa slammed the door to Kagome's room. Kagome could hear her mother making up excuses to Mr. Broutassen as to why Kagome was taking so long.

"I'm so sorry Inuyasha… so sorry…" Kagome whispered as she slid on the cold silk robe and let her body go numb as she fell onto the bed. 'Don't move, just don't move, don't think, don't even breath' she silently chanted to herself hoping that in some way she wouldn't register what was coming for her.

"My, my, my, what a lovely sight for my eyes." Mr. Broutassen whispered as he entered the room. Kagome felt the air turn cold and her body longed to curl up and try to keep him out, but she just laid there.

"You know your mother said that you've had your eyes on me for quite some time." He bent over her and dragged his untrimmed mustache and sweating lips over her cheek, "Of course I knew that she was lying. No girl your age would want a man like me to bed them. But she was a persistent woman, you mother, even told me that you weren't a virgin anymore, that you liked it rough." Mr. Broutassen grabbed a fistful of Kagome's hair and wrenched her head up.

"Ah!" Kagome hissed as he threw her to the bottom of the bed. Her eyes swelled over with tears and her body began to shake. He sat down on the bed and let his hand drag over the bed sheets and wrap around her ankle.

"You see I'm not fond of women who like to be roughed up. No, what I like are little girls trying to put up a brave front when inside they're scared shit-less." With that Mr. Broutassen pulled her body up by his and threw her to the floor. Her head hit the hard wood with a thunk and her vision went blurry before she felt greasy hands rip open her dress. Kagome couldn't move as he laid her on the bed and positioned himself on top of her. It wasn't fear, no it was something worse, something that boiled her skin till she felt cold, something that tore her mind from its dwelling and hid her thoughts, and something that drove her to try and scream when there was no air left in her lungs.

Inuyasha was in horror, complete and absolute horror. Every muscle tightened in an anger that bubble through his very being. Only one thought ran through his head as he was forced to listen to his mate being taken by another man, 'kill'. But, not just the acts of killing that man, but of making him suffer.

"There's a good girl, haha! You should see your face! You're so ugly with that scared expression! No wonder no one would want you!" the filthy waste of skin said before Inuyasha heard him slap Kagome.

The words were gone. Inuyasha didn't have thoughts anymore only actions. A burning started to boil over his eyes until they were no longer his own. A thunderous growl ripped its way out of Inuyasha's throat. He felt his bones splinter as something inside of him fought against his bindings. The heat was boiling him, his skin was beginning to burst and the pain almost brought him back to a conscious state, almost. A high pitched scream that was cut off with the sound of a fist breaking skin pushed him over the edge he desperately wanted to jump from.

"What the hell?" Mr. Broutassen asked shifting his hairy gut to the side as he stared at the closet that had started to shake. Kagome had heard the cracking noise as well. She tried to turn her head but the fat man's hands were clamped around her throat. A sudden gust of air blew the closet doors open and a curtain of rage filled the room.

"What the he-" Mr. Broutassen stared to repeat when suddenly he was thrown from the bed and into the window across the room. Kagome sat up slowly to find a growling demon crouching over her.

"Inuyasha?" she asked her voice coming out in small whispers. He didn't look like Inuyasha! His fangs were enlarged and his eyes those eyes! Kagome remembered the previous night, how his eyes had flashed that molten red.

"Mine." Inuyasha growled lowering his head towards Kagome's neck. She felt him sniff her body and cringe away from the places where Mr. Broutassen had touched her.

"Fuck! What the hell was that? You little bitch!" Mr. Broutassen roared holding his head where blood was leaking out. Upon hearing his voice Kagome shook and her body moved instinctively away from Mr. Broutassen. She tried to get off the bed entirely but when she moved her right ankle she found that it sent a spear of pain up her leg. She let out a whimper and clutched her hurt ankle.

"Mine." Inuyasha said under his breath, a growl building in his throat.

"What? You fuckers! I'm going to kill you!" Mr. Broutassen shouted picking up a piece of broken glass and standing unsteadily.

"Mine, mine, mine." Inuyasha chanted pulling Kagome closer to him.

"I don't care who you are! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Mr. Broutassen screamed before lunging at Inuyasha with the piece of glass. Kagome closed her eyes and curled into a ball. Then everything went silent. The air had a different taste to it, the rage wasn't gone, not completely, but a darker more primal feeling had slid into the mix. Kagome slowly opened her eyes and looked up. She saw Inuyasha; eyes still a blazing red, with one arm out in front of him while his other held her close to him. Kagome turned her head to see the end of his other arm.

Kagome gasped. Inuyasha's hand was almost elbow deep in Mr. Broutassen's chest. She could see the blood dripping out of his wound. However, Mr. Broutassen wasn't moving. He still held the piece of glass in both hands poised above his head ready to strike. It was as if time had stopped, both of them frozen.

"ahh…" Mr. Broutassen gasped out. Then Kagome saw Inuyasha tighten his grip slowly. More putrid and pain riddled sounds emerged from Mr. Broutassen's throat. It was then that Kagome saw that Inuyasha's hand wasn't just in Mr. Broutassen's chest, it was all the way through and his grip was on Mr. Broutassen's spine itself.

The act of shattering bones is a simple thing. The bone marrow breaks in one or more places causing the bone itself to splinter and thereby puncture other nearby tissue. However, if there are nerves running through a series of bones then both the act and the effect of shattering the bones becomes something else, it becomes torture.

It was this very torture that Inuyasha was inflicting. The feeling of the hard shattered chunks of bone mixing with the slimy texture of the muscle sent a satisfying trill up Inuyasha's spine. A piece of the old man's lung slid out into the floor with a loud flop. This sound pushed Kagome to her limit of sanity. She let herself fall into unconsciousness and drift into the arms of a revenge satisfied half-demon.


	12. Chapter 12

Air, it was air. Not wind. No the sound that curved over Kagome's ears and blew through her hair was the fleeting whisper of broken air. Kagome knew what the wind felt like when it rolled over her face and ruffled her skin but this, this was not like that. It was as if the air was a stagnate thing that she was being pushed through, a crumpled leaf over a stale pond.

Kagome tried to pull herself out of the dream-like thoughts she was having but her body wouldn't budge. No, not wouldn't, couldn't. She tried to move her legs, no luck, arms, nope, eyes, yes. Her eyelids slowly fell upwards to reveal a world of shadows and shifting air. She could hear the world swiftly passing by her but could see nothing. She took in a deep breath and felt her chest hit something hard, another breath, something hard, and moving. Kagome shifted her eyes downwards to see what she was hitting. The act brought a throbbing to her head, as though sight had somehow become a chore. Pushing through the pain she focused on her chest and whatever was next to it. At first it seemed like two glowing bodies were dancing before her. Whenever one mound of flesh would retract the other would chase it until they connected again. Reason began to flow back into Kagome's tired mind and explained that these thoughts were unnatural. She tried once more to bring sense to the bodies in her view. The blurry images became clear.

One part of the flesh was hers. Her left breast was lifting with each inhale to meet the bronzed chest of another, both blatantly naked. At once Kagome hurled her swimming mind back to land and her head shot up to see the long muscular shoulders and dancing silver hair of Inuyasha. Kagome found her shame and tried to cover herself up, but her arms were secure in Inuyasha's grip. His arm had hers tangled behind her back as his other arm held her legs behind her knees.

"Inu…Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, craning her head up to try and see his face. At once he glanced down at her and the air stopped moving around them. Feeling the sudden change Kagome looked around her, she was cradled in his arms at least twenty feet up as he stood on a tree branch. Kagome now understood the air moving around her, Inuyasha had been running, such a smooth movement that she had barely noticed.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's panicked voice squeaked out. She was scared. Scared of the height, scared of the nakedness they were embracing, scared of him. Kagome's head shot up and she was captured in his red gaze. His eyes glowed in the night and his fangs overtook his lips. The aura around him was a savage one.

"Inuyasha, please!" Kagome begged. She pleaded with any and all of the gods to bring back the golden eyes she knew. However, her prayers went unanswered. With a grunt Inuyasha jumped from the tree branch and let their bodies fall towards the earth. Kagome's scream was caught in her throat, yet, she didn't need it. Inuyasha made a flawless landing, which would have killed a human, right next to the tree.

Kagome looked around to find herself buried in a forest. The trees were large and wild and the grass grew without the worry of being tamed. Inuyasha pushed himself through the tall grass and over a pile of stones. Kagome started to shake, 'what happened?' she asked herself, 'the last thing I remember was Mr. Broutassen with the piece of glass…' Kagome recovered her memories and let another shiver rip through her flesh as she recalled Inuyasha's arm buried in the old man's chest. 'But then what?' her questions went unanswered.

"Humph" Inuyasha grunted, pulling Kagome back into the present. He had stopped walking and was standing on the edge of a large pond. The water glistened in the dark night and Kagome could see a stream on either side of the pond pushing the innocent water through onto its next destination.

Suddenly Inuyasha began to unfurl his grip on Kagome. She let out a pained moan when he tried to place her on her feet, her ankle twisted in an unnerving way and sent her falling to the ground. Inuyasha caught her and slowly lowered her down. She looked up at him in the soft glow of the moon. He was radiant, in a horridly crude way. Although his body was lean Kagome could make out each muscle in his chest. As she lowered her gaze she saw that he had ripped new holes in his pants around the knees. Kagome's mind flashed back to the realization that she, unlike him, was naked. She tried to twist her arms around her chest and pulled her knees up to her stomach, trying to hide herself from his eyes. However, when Kagome pulled her leg up she succeeded not in covering herself but in twisting her ankle once again, she hissed in agitated pain and clamped her eyes closed, trying to calm herself.

When she opened her eyes Inuyasha was crouched above her, his face inclining towards her leg in a curious way. A sense of protection and safety washed over Kagome from his aura. He bent his head down and pulled her leg slowly away from her body to examine her ankle. She tried to keep herself covered with her hands but to no avail. Kagome was bright red with embarrassment and quickly shut her eyes scared of seeing his reaction to her nakedness. However, time ticked by and he made no move toward or away from her, instead he merely turned her leg this way and that now and then darting out his hand to run it over the swollen area of her ankle. Kagome slowly unclenched her eyes and looked at Inuyasha.

"Humph" he grunted again slowly laying her leg back down on the springy grass. It was then that Kagome realized that he hadn't even seemed to have noticed her nudity and instead seemed to have taken on a merely protective role. In a flash movement Inuyasha had Kagome in his arms once more. Kagome didn't shake, or even pull back, though. It felt right to have his breath flowing over her skin, to feel his hands on her body, to have him with her.

Inuyasha moved towards the pond and cradled Kagome with one hand as his other darted out and stirred the water in a circular motion. Kagome watched with curiosity as he did this in several places around the pond. At last, near the far edge he seemed satisfied and once more put her down n the grass near the shimmering pool. Kagome had just finished adjusting herself to the new ground when she heard a small splash. She looked over at the pond to find Inuyasha waist deep in the pool, his red pants hung over some nearby rocks. Kagome turned red and swiftly shifted her face away from him thinking that he felt the need to clean up.

Suddenly two large clawed hands scooped her up under her arms and lifted her above the water. Kagome's back was to Inuyasha as he slowly slid her into the warm water. Kagome didn't have words for her expression right then. She was scared because he was still a feral being, embarrassed because they were both naked, but deeply happy that she was still with him.

Kagome shivered when her breasts hit the water and Inuyasha stopped lowering her the instant she shook. In a flash, he turned her towards him and began inspecting her, trying to find the source of her discomfort.

"I'm fine Inuyasha!" she said in a panicky voice trying to cover herself from his thorough gaze. Inuyasha's head shot up at her words and his bright red eyes turned sad. They were so much like a child's that it made Kagome's heart skip a beat. Those eyes that ran deep with the pain of being shunned, of being left behind.

"I… I didn't mean anything by it… It's just really I'm fine Inuyasha." Kagome explained giving him a small smile. She didn't want to see him sad like this. Suddenly his lips were at her throat. Kagome gasped as she felt his fangs slide over her skin and his tongue dart out to lick the bruised flesh he had marked. He pulled back suddenly and put his head on top of hers letting his arms wrap around her body pulling her into him. The heat from his skin made Kagome go weak and the naked contact made her go limp. It didn't matter though, in Inuyasha's iron grip she didn't move and inch.

He slowly pulled away and lowered her the rest of the way into the water, careful not to let her go. All of a sudden Kagome felt his hand grab the back of her thigh and start to rub p and down her leg. At once Kagome tried to get away but he held her in place with his other arm.

"Inuyasha what are you!" She asked her voice high. At once he stopped his motion and lifted his eyes to meet hers, the red glow was dimming but the sadness was back. His face was contorted in a pain she didn't know. Inuyasha's head fell to rest on her shoulder, his forehead hitting her collarbone.

"Mine…" he said in a tiny desperate voice. That was all it took. Kagome understood as his hand moved to the small of her back and began rubbing once again. He was washing all of the places Mr. Broutassen had touched her. Kagome wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a comforting embrace. Mimicking his earlier motions she let her lips caress the base of his throat in a sweeping fashion. Inuyasha had stopped moving when her lips had touched him.  
At first Kagome assumed that she had done something wrong and looked up to see his face. However, Inuyasha didn't look offended at all instead he had a proud look in his features as he continued his bathing of her.

As the sun started to rise Inuyasha helped Kagome out of the pond and dressed as she wrung out her hair. He still hadn't gotten his golden eyes back yet but his movements and aura were far from wild anymore. He bent down after dressing and scooped her back into his arms. His powerful legs jolted into action and soon they were soaring through the mid-morning air and over the tops of trees. Kagome let a yawn escape her lips and rubbed the tears of tiredness from her eyes. She saw Inuyasha watching her and suddenly they were falling back to the ground. Kagome still didn't like the feeling of her stomach crawling up her throat as they fell but she didn't even try to scream this time, trusting Inuyasha to get her down safely. When she looked around she saw a small cave in a mountain face. Inuyasha seemed to be sniffing the air as he made his way closer to the mountain. It was then that it first occurred to Kagome that they might not be alone in the forest. But, before she could let the worries of others come into her exhausted mind Inuyasha was leaping for the cave.

The inside was damp and warm while the air had a certain mossy smell to it. Inuyasha walked inside a ways and laid Kagome down on a spot of soft earth. He positioned her leg and rolled her to her side so that no weight would be on it. Kagome felt him tuck himself in behind her, his hand wrapping around her chest. Kagome tried to protest his embarrassing positioning of himself but she was too tired to care anymore. The worries of future days and present shame could be dealt with when her eyes weren't so heavy.


	13. Chapter 13

The ground was hard, but warm. Inuyasha could feel the rays of the sunrise warming his back. And for once everything felt good. His body ached, but, the pain seemed well earned. He encircled his arms around the tiny body in front of him and stretched his legs with a groan. Inuyasha couldn't remember a time when he felt so rested, so right. He slowly let his eyelids drift upwards into a world of blinding orange light and shadows. The first thing he could see was a rock, a big rock, the kind of rocks that were found only outside because of their enormous girth. 'not right..' his mind chided to him. Inuyasha opened his eyes fully and he was in shock. He was outside! The air was fresh, with a sweet aftertaste. He inhaled deeply, trying to savor the taste. As he did his body bumped something in front of him, something he had been clinging to. Flowing waves of black hair greeted his sight along with a very nude set of legs and a petite curved back. 'not right…' his mind said again, louder this time.

The feminine form in front of him stirred in her sleep shifting some of her hair down over her also naked shoulder. Inuyasha watched as his mating mark was revealed by her hair. 'NOT RIGHT!' a screaming mind this time.

Inuyasha jumped away from Kagome's body. His heart was racing as he tried to piece the puzzle of the previous night together.

"That man…" Inuyasha growled out unconsciously. He was remembering the cold feel of the closet, the burning of his blood, and Kagome's sobbing screams. A trill went down his spine and he scooted himself closer to her, not touching, but enough to know she was still sleeping.

'I was so angry…then the collar burned my…'Inuyasha thought. His eyes went wide and his hand flew to his neck, nothing, just his own skin, not even those damned beads hung on him! Inuyasha jumped over to Kagome, excitement and fear driving him to wake her with hurried nudges.

"Hmmm? Inuyasha?" Kagome asked her voice coated in a sleepy whisper. She sat up slowly, her back to him.

"Kagome! Tell me to do something! Tell me to do anything!" Inuyasha demanded. He needed to know if it was true, if he had really broken from the collar by himself.

"Inuyasha? You're back! I thought you might stay like that! I'm so glad!" Kagome answered turning to face him. Her mind was a flutter with the happiness from hearing his normal voice. Sure enough when she turned to face him his eyes were golden and his fangs small enough to hide in his mouth again.

"Tell me to do something!" He shouted clenching his fists. His voice echoed in the cave and made Kagome cringe back in fear. His aura was beating her down with a frustrated fear that she did not understand.

"Inuyasha! Please stop!" Kagome yelled covering her head with her hands and crouching down, trying, in vain, to protect herself from his aura.

"Nothing…" Inuyasha whispered. Her order did nothing to him. His body was not constricted by her words. He had freed himself, he was free.

At once Kagome felt the monstrous aura lift and a feeling of awe drifted over her. She peeked out from her hands and saw him staring, wide eyed, at the ground. His every muscle was tensed, as though he was awaiting something. Then Kagome saw them, tiny sparkling tears traveling down his cheeks, catching the morning sun in their watery drops. He was crying.

Kagome sat up and moved towards him, her hand outstretched. She was scared he would turn on her, that he would hurt her, but she wanted to help him. Kagome didn't understand his tears. Then she watched his hands touch the ground and sift themselves through the soft dirt. He slowly drew his hands back up to his face and focused on them. Kagome understood then. Inuyasha realized he was not bound by the collar anymore. She let a smile drift over her face, but, a sudden pain from her cheek made her wince.

Inuyasha had been watching his hands, no not just his hands his _free_ hands, the hands that were his alone, when he heard a pained hiss in front of him. At once he dropped his arms and took in the sight in front of him. It was one of horror.

Kagome was sitting on the ground, her legs folded under her, rubbing her left cheek. But, that was not what made Inuyasha's eyes go wide. Her body was naked, which was startlingly beautiful in itself, but, not the source of his morbid surprise. Her body and her face were coated in the soft dirt from the floor of the cave, but, through the light dirt Inuyasha could see she was covered in bruises. She had a black eye on the left side of her face while bruised hand prints adorned the right side of her neck. Each wrist was colored in a blue black ring and several more lay on her ribs and thighs.

'Did I do this?' Inuyasha asked himself. The very idea made acid rise to his throat. 'No,' he thought inspecting the hand mark around her neck, 'Those bruises are too close together…' He trailed off remembering what had transpired for her before he had blacked out.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked watching his expression turn hateful. At once she remembered her lack of clothing and tried to cover herself. She only succeeded in toppling over and landing on her already hurt ankle.

"Ahh!" Kagome gasped when she hit her foot. She rubbed at her swollen ankle thankful she hadn't hit the ground. 'Wait, didn't hit the ground?' she asked herself. It was at that moment that she looked over her shoulder to see Inuyasha cradling her in his arms. She instantly tried to move away from him, but, she only managed to get a few inches away before he pulled her back into him. She now sat, blushing madly, on his lap, her back facing him.

"Are you alright?" Inuyasha asked, his arms holding her shoulders.

"Yes! I-I'm fine! I mean…I guess my ankle is hurt bu-but it's not that bad really!" she stammered out fidgeting with her swollen foot.

'Well she's lying, no doubt there…' Inuyasha thought moving his head to the side to get a better look at her ankle. It was pretty red, it needed to be cooled and wrapped up before it got any worse. But, that was not really what he had wanted to know. Inuyasha was worried about what had happened after he blacked out. Obviously he had taken her away from her home, strike one, he must have done something to the man that had been hurting her, strike two, and now she was stuck out in the gods only know where with no clothes, strike three, he was out. Surely she had to be mad at him. Hell, he was mad at himself. How could he have let this happen?

"No…What I meant was…what exactly happened…last night?" Inuyasha asked closing his eyes, as though not being able to see her would somehow lessen the burden of what he had done.

"We-well… I-I was being…Mr. Broutassen was… to me…" Kagome choked out, her body curled into a ball trying to keep the memories away, "but then you…you came out and saved me…you…you ki-killed that man…" Kagome paused. It was the first time she had really thought about what had transpired. It was true; Mr. Broutassen had tried to rape her. Inuyasha had killed him. These were facts that she was struggling with, both wanting to understand them to explain them Inuyasha and wishing she could forget.

"Do you…do you know what happened next?" He asked rubbing his hand on her back in slow movements trying to calm her. He was in a state of shock, so to speak. He wanted to know what had happened but he didn't want to hurt her.

"Th-then I think I fainted…then I woke up…yo-you were carrying me through the woods…bu-but your eyes they were red and you wouldn't talk to me no matter how much I tried to figure out what was happening! I was so scared that you would stay that way! I thought you had become something else!" Kagome gasped out, tears welling in her eyes. Inuyasha pulled away from her, his brow knit together in the horror of his own actions. 'God, what have I done to this girl?' He asked himself.

"I-I'm so sorry Kagome…I didn't mean… I didn't want to hurt you!" He tried to explain. Inuyasha was in just as much confusion as she was. Why couldn't he remember any of this? He let his head fall, thumping gently into her back, his arms wrapping themselves around her. 'It had to be the mark…' He thought, 'Why else would I have done all of this? I claimed her as my mate then she was in danger so I...'

Inuyasha had seen other males being protective of their mates on the southern farms. If rival males got too close there would be fights. He had once seen a demon tear off the head of a human when the human tried to touch the demon's mate. It was the power of the mark, the power of the connection with his mate. He had to tell her, to beg her forgiveness. Inuyasha couldn't stand thinking that she was angry with him. He just wanted her to be happy.

"Kagome…I need to explain something to you…Do you see that bruise at the base of your neck?" Inuyasha asked pulling his head up and summoning his courage to admit his horrid mistake to her.

Kagome whipped away the tears from her face before letting her hand drift up to her neck and settle on the puffy mark by her collar bone. Inuyasha tensed when he looked over her shoulder and saw her rubbing it.

"It…It's a mark that I made." He said, turning his face away from her and letting his arms drop away from her shoulders, he didn't have the right to touch her. Kagome slowly turned her face towards him. She didn't understand why he looked so angry. Was the mark really that bad? Just last night his red eyed self had gently nuzzled it with pride.

"Inuyasha?" she asked turning her body towards him in his lap. She reached out for is shoulder but his arm caught her wrist and held it away from him.

"That…mark is something that demons do. It-it's a mark that a male gives a female to…to claim them as their own. I-I know I shouldn't have done it to you! Honestly I didn't even realize I had done it at all! When I woke up after we had sex I didn't remember the whole night! I thought that if I just didn't tell you about the mark that it wouldn't matter, that we could just go on! But…I was wrong…obviously… look at us… I dragged you out here; put you through so much all because I tried to claim you as my own..." He trailed off, his eyes squinting shut and his hand tightening around her already bruised wrist.

"Ah!" Kagome flinched from the pain on her wrist. At once Inuyasha dropped her arm and pulled his body away from her.

"Even now… I still hurt you…" He said with a cheerless laugh. Kagome regretted having winced over her wrist. But it made sense now. It made sense why Inuyasha had nestled into her mark the night before.

"It makes sense…" she whispered, accidentally letting her thoughts slip out into the air. At once Inuyasha's head flipped up and he turned to look at her, an accusing gaze painted on his face.

"No! no I just meant that last ni-night when you took me to that pond you were really sad because you thought I didn't want you to touch me but then I said that it was okay so you touched the mark on my neck and you were really happy when I touched you neck and so…" Kagome tried to explain hurriedly. She was bright red with embarrassment at having admitted what they had done; basically take a bath, together the night before. 'It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! I mean we already had sex!' the thought sent a chill over her body and caused her to shudder in both remembrance and embarrassment.

"What else happened last night?" Inuyasha demanded, his features untrusting. Why hadn't she told him everything? What was she hiding? Inuyasha grew angrier and more frustrated by the second.

"I'm sorry!" she shouted out ducking her head down and raising her arms up in defense, "I didn't mean to not tell you it-it's just that I was really embarrassed about it an-and I didn't know how to tell you that you took care of me…you took really good care of me…" She trailed off readying herself for a hateful remark from him.

"I took care of you?" Inuyasha asked his voice quite. Why in the hell couldn't he remember! "Please, just tell me what happened… I won't be mad." He said reaching a hand out to her shaking shoulder in comfort. He had lost his temper with himself, not her. He didn't want her to think he was mad at her but he couldn't seem to keep his mind in check with all of the chaos going on.

"I-I woke up and you were carrying me in the forest…" Kagome explained peeking through her hands to see if he was following her story. Inuyasha nodded for her to proceed. "Then you…you saw that I was awake and you jumped down and took me to this pond…yo-you put me in the water an-and you washed…you washed where tha-that man had touched me. But, I got scared so you tried to calm me down… that's when yo-you touched the mark and then I-I to-touched your neck and…" Kagome's head fell in shame. Had she really done that? Saying it out loud somehow made it seem more perverted.

"Then what?" Inuyasha asked moving himself closer to her.

"Th-then you brought me here… I was tired and you must have been tired too… I mean of course you were tired you went to sleep! Then I was tired too so I went to sleep too! And…th-that's all that…that's all I know…" Kagome was struggling desperately with the rollercoaster of emotions she was going through. One second Inuyasha wouldn't even look at her and the next he was holding her! "Why! Why are you doing this to me?" she screamed in frustration, tears spilling over her eyes.

"I-I didn't mean… I'm sorry…" Inuyasha answered. 'Of course she blames me for bringing her out here like this… it's my fault…' he thought letting himself drift deeper into his miserable thoughts.

"Then just stop! If you are mad at me just tell me! Then I promise I'll try to not do what makes you mad again! I just can't handle you pushing me away one second then crushing me the next!" Kagome choked out, shaking with aggravated sobs.

"What?" Inuyasha was in a new state of shock, he seemed to be drifting from one to the next this morning. She thought he was mad at her? No! She should be mad at him! She had every right! Yet, here she was trying to find out what she had done wrong, truly she was a strange creature.

"I-I'm sorry I said that because I wa-was angry at that moment I promise I won't yell again so please don't be angry… don't be angry…" she pleaded wiping at her now dirt and tear filled face.

"I'm not mad at you… I-I'm sorry for making you think I was. It's just that everything has come crashing down! I thought you would be angry with me for doing all of this, even though I don't remember most of it! And then my collar is off so I just don't even know what I should be angry, happy, or sad about right now… everything is just becoming a blur…" Inuyasha answered. He looked at her with soft eyes and began to help her wipe the dirt from her face. "I promise that I'll get you back home no matter what." He pledged tucking her into his side with a strong arm.

"Home?" Kagome asked. Her eyes were wide with horror. She pushed away from him in panic. She couldn't go back, wouldn't go back! Her mother would kill her, but not right away, first her mother would make her suffer, then kill her. Kagome could already see the disgusting smirk on that woman's lips! Kagome scrambled away from Inuyasha in a pathetic attempt to reach the opening of the cave.

"What the hell? Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed grabbing her ankle as she tried to crawl away. She kicked at him and dug her fingernails into the dirt trying to get a hold on the ground as he pulled her back to him. Kagome screamed as he wrapped his arms around her in a vice tight grip. She couldn't move, couldn't get away, she would have to go back! In a final attempt to free herself she twisted her body around and shoved herself away from his chest. The act was futile and soon she was gasping for breath, still struggling in vain, to get away.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha shouted, grabbing her roughly by the shoulders and bringing his head down to hers. She stopped fighting once their eyes met. Inuyasha watched as Kagome's face crumbled to new tears.

"Please…please…" she whispered to him, her body collapsing into his.

"Kagome, look at me! Tell me what that was? Why did you…" Inuyasha asked worry lacing his words. He didn't know what had sparked her frantic escape attempt and he didn't want it to happen again.

"Please…don't make me go back. I can't go back to that place…she'll kill me… she'll take one look and kill me…" Kagome said her voice cracking. Inuyasha slowly lowered her to the ground in his lap. He tucked her head into his chest and wrapped one arm around her shoulders and another around her waist. 'Her mother…' He thought. How could he have been so stupid? Kagome wouldn't want to return to that hell hole. Inuyasha glanced down at her hand, the scrap from her mother's heel imprint was still easy visible.

"I won't make you go back. If you really don't want to I won't make you." He reassured her petting her head softly.

"You won't?" Kagome asked lifting her head up to look at him hope dangling in her eyes. 'How the hell does she do it?' Inuyasha asked himself. 'Even though she's covered in dirt and bruises she still looks so beautiful, how?'

"I promise I won't make you go back there. And, I can promise you that not going back will be a rough life." Inuyasha explained. He didn't want her to get any ideas that what they had done, and were going to do, was going to be easy by any measure.

"I-I understand." She said a fierce look of determination covering her face. Inuyasha smiled at her and pulled her into another embrace. She was his. Kagome belonged to him! She had chosen him, kind of, over her home, which admittedly was a horror unto itself. Even though there were so many ifs and buts connecting him and Kagome Inuyasha was still soaring. She was his!

"In-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. He was pulled out of his warm thoughts by her shaky voice.

"Hmm?" He asked tightening his grip on her. He wasn't about to let go of what he had finally claimed to be his.

"D-do you have any oth-other clothes?" she whispered. Inuyasha looked down at her in surprise. She refused to meet his eyes but he could see the blush tinting her cheeks.

Inuyasha let out a loud laugh that turned into echoed bellows in the cave. Kagome jumped at his laughter and quickly turned to see what was so funny.

"You really are the strangest person I have ever met!" he laughed out, "Here we are stuck in a cave in who the hell knows what forest having just declared that I won't ever give you back and you ask if there are other clothes!"

Kagome blushed a brighter red but couldn't stop the smile from creeping up her face. Inuyasha stopped laughing and patted her head before scooping her up in his arms. She let out a tiny squeak of surprise before unconsciously wrapping her arms around his neck.

"First we need to wrap up your ankle before you hurt yourself even more. Now where was that pond you kept talking about?" Inuyasha asked, walking towards the mouth of the cave.

"I-I don't remember exactly where it was but I know we came from that direction." She said pointing to the left. Inuyasha nodded before leaping into the air and onto the branch of a nearby tree. He jumped from one limb to the next; loving the wonders he had been given, his freedom, for one, and his own mate cradled in his arms.

"Over there." Inuyasha said sniffing the air. He could smell the water as well as their own left over scents from the night before. 'There is still that…' he thought letting his mind drop, 'why can't I remember everything…'

"It really is the same one…" Kagome said in awe pulling Inuyasha from his downward thoughts. He puffed up his chest in pride and carried her over to the pool of water. Inuyasha set her down carefully and walked over to the pond. He glanced back to see her trying her best to cover herself up. 'Such a strange girl,' he laughed to himself, 'she clung to me naked earlier but now she's shy.'

He knelt down next to the pond and granted himself another look at her, she blushed as their eyes met and looked down. Inuyasha smiled to himself, he was on cloud nine and loving it. He ripped a section of his pants off and dipped it into the cool water.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked. She had heard the rip and was worried something had happened.

"Okay, this should help for now, though we really do need some sturdier material." He said bringing the wet strip of fabric over to her swollen ankle. He carefully wrapped it, making sure not to twist it anymore than it had been.

"Thank you." Kagome said smiling as she looked down to inspect her now wrapped ankle.

"Well, time to clean up!" Inuyasha announced picking her up in one fluid movement before plunging them both into the soothing water. Kagome came up from under the splash still secure in his arms, though, more than a little surprised.

"Inuyasha!" she scolded him wiping her hair out of her face. "Why did you do that?" she asked shivering a little in the water.

"Well, we need to clean up for where we're going." He said matter-of-factly, taking a very brazen once over of her body, it was a good time to be him! Her body was lovely, and he enjoyed watching her scramble to try and cover herself as she noticed what he was doing.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he let her dip vertically into the water holding her up under her arms.

"We're going south. There is this place that I heard rumors of when I was on the plantation. They say that it's a hide-out for demons that have escaped slavery, and seeing as I am just that it's our best bet." He explained rubbing some of the more stubborn dirt off of her right cheek.

"We-we're going to whe-where demons are?" she asked her voice betraying her fear.

"Come on, don't worry," he said pulling her into a hug, "I'll protect you, that's what I'm here for."

Kagome nodded moving her hands over the body in the water to clean the dirt off. Inuyasha's upbeat attitude had gotten a hold of her and she smiled as she heard him humming as he ran his hands through her hair. 'We're going to be okay.' She thought.

…

"Just do it!" Inuyasha demanded in a whisper.

"Just give me a second!" Kagome answered back in the same hushed, yet hurried, tone.

"Fine then! I'll just look at your naked body all day long then. Really, that suits me just fine." Inuyasha said a sly smile creeping onto his face.

"Fine! Just keep watch okay?" Kagome pleaded before hobbling out from behind the bush they had been arguing in. She glanced around the outskirts of a farming village in the mid-morning light. The chimney was smoking so someone was home and awake in the hut not ten feet from her. But, it wasn't the hut she was sneaking up on; it was the waving clothes strung out on the clothes line next to the house she was stalking.

"Quick!" Inuyasha said from the bush. Kagome hurried her pace and muttered an 'I'm sorry" before snatching an oversized dress from the line. She quickly shuffled back to the bush as fast as her limping leg would let her.

"Wow good job! You didn't just get some clothes you got a whole tent!" Inuyasha teased her fanning the large dress out over his head.

"Stop it! It's better than nothing!" she scolded him pulling the garment over her head and tying the sash around her waist. She had to twist it around three times before it was short enough to tie at her hip.

"Nice!" Inuyasha complemented her before he pulled her onto his back and leapt away into the woods. Admittedly Kagome kind of missed the feel of their skin touching as he carried her but she was overjoyed with the fact that she now had clothing. Inuyasha had been staring at her for the last two days with, well, rather perverted eyes. It sent chills up her body and she had been having a hard time concentrating on anything. Finally they had come to a village where Kagome saw the lovely clothing just flowing in the wind. She had had to talk Inuyasha into letting her get some of the innocently fluttering garments. He was very wary of villages. If he were seen by anyone then their whole escape plan would fall to pieces, hence Kagome's awkward shuffling to get the clothes herself. Inuyasha had offered to retrieve them for her but Kagome didn't want to risk his freedom. After all if someone looked outside and saw a demon an alarm would be raised. But, if someone looked outside and saw a naked girl hobbling about they would probably keep it to themselves so as not to be branded insane.

"We should reach the southern border in about three days." Inuyasha commented bringing Kagome back from her thoughts. They had been traveling south with few problems other than finding food and a place to sleep for the past two days now. Kagome could tell that Inuyasha was in a state of overjoyed bliss. Though, she was very nervous of what was to come herself she didn't voice her worries when he seemed so sure of himself.

"Hey! I can smell some water! Probably a river, wanna have a drink?" he asked turning his head back to look at her. Kagome nodded and willed him to look forward again. He was running and jumping from tree to tree with her on his back and she didn't want him to hit anything.

The warm air blew over them as Inuyasha set Kagome down near the babbling stream. She bent down and cupped her hands for a drink. Suddenly Inuyasha grabbed her and pulled her into his chest. Kagome could feel a defensive aura sliding around her as he growled at whatever was approaching them.

They had run into a bear just the day before but Inuyasha had laughed it off and even wrestled with it playfully while Kagome watched worriedly. It had seemed as if nothing could scare him. Yet, here and now he buried her face into his chest restricting her vision as he crushed her to him.

"Stand down! If you don't want to die demon get on the ground and shut up!" a high voice demanded. Kagome heard footsteps approach from behind her, then from the sides. They were surrounded!


	14. Chapter 14

"Get on the ground demon!" The voice ordered. Kagome could feel Inuyasha's chest tightening, his breath came in deep gulps. Slowly he lowered their bodies to the ground, his arms encasing Kagome. Inuyasha's aura engulfed her and she could feel it seeping into her skin, a defensive hatred that threatened all that came close.

"Good, now don't move!" The voice added. 'Why now? Why? We were so close…' Kagome asked herself. Not a minute ago everything had seemed so carefree, so wonderfully carefree, but it had all come crashing down, like it always did. 'Am I really surprised?' Kagome asked herself. Nothing had ever gone right for her, why should this? 'This is what I deserve; I tried to fly away from reality and ended up crashing back down. I deserve this…but Inuyasha? He doesn't…' Kagome's mind was, for the first time, unable to accept the facts of the world around her. She had always just gone with the flow, just let things happen. Sure, she had all of this coming but he didn't and she was going to be damned if the fucked up logic of the karma system was going to hurt Inuyasha! 'Figures, it's the first time I try and defy my surroundings and it has to be against an invisible force, karma itself, and very visible attackers…' She thought. But, wait, she hadn't seen them, Kagome didn't even know how many there were.

"Hey! Mayumi, it's not a demon! Take a whiff he's only half!" A male voice jeered from behind Kagome. 'How would they know?' Kagome asked herself. Her mind was being thrown into turmoil. These people knew? By Inuyasha's smell?

"Hmph, you're right Masaru. So, you're a half demon are you?" The woman asked. Kagome could hear footsteps coming closer from her left. Suddenly Kagome felt Inuyasha's aura lessen and pull back as she heard him sniff the air.

"I am. What is it to you, demon?" Inuyasha asked pulling Kagome closer to him so she practically sat under his kneeling form. 'Demon? These people are demons?' Kagome mentally shrieked. Her body started to shake. Sure, she wasn't fearful of Inuyasha but he was different! She knew he wouldn't try to hurt her, but these demons, she didn't know what to expect. And, there was also the lingering fear of their powers. If Inuyasha, only a half demon could do so much, Kagome brought the scene of his hand elbow deep in the old man's chest up from her memory with a shudder, then just imaging what these demons could do brought the bile from her stomach up her throat.

"Heh, nothing much, actually. Just wanted to make sure that that human you have there isn't causing you any problems. See, we don't take kindly to humans who use demons, do we guys?" The woman said. Her voice was strong with a thick twang at the end of each word. Kagome could remember the accent from when her mother's cousin from the West had come to stay with them. Was this demon also from the West?

"I can assure you that this human holds no power over me and will not harm any of you, please let us pass." Inuyasha said slowly as he stood up. Kagome felt herself being lifted up and for the first time she was able to see the scene around her. Kagome's eyes first fell to her right on the demon named Mayumi. She was a tall woman with hundreds of tiny red and black braids hanging from her hair. Her eyes glowed a deep crimson and her lips pulled up at the sides revealing long sharp fangs. Several spots of scales that varied from brown to a clay red adorned her bare arms and shoulders. A large golden ring shone tightly around her neck as her tattered shirt and long skirt fluttered in the wind. All in all she truly was beautiful.

Kagome pulled her mind back and tried to right her thoughts, but there was no other word to describe the demon before her. It reminded Kagome of when Inuyasha's eyes had been red and she had seen him under the moonlight, a crazy dangerous kind of beautiful that Kagome had been powerless against. She could do nothing but be awed by it and ashamed of admiring it at the same time.

"Holds no power huh? I don't see a collar on you half demon!" A male voice yelled from behind Inuyasha. Kagome recognized the voice from earlier to be the demon called Masaru. Kagome dared a peek over Inuyasha's shoulder and saw a large demon with red tinted skin and a shaved head except for a long dark braid coming out of the top. The male demon's ears were long and had tufts of fur on each end. A black band squeezed his thick neck. He too bore fangs and held his mouth open in a threat, the way Kagome had seen street dogs do to one another before an attack.

The demon Masaru seemed to grow impatient at Inuyasha's lack of an answer and took a step forward bringing a large axe up in front of him.

"Masaru! Hold your weapons! You asked this man for an answer yet you do not give him time to give you one!" A new voice scolded from Kagome's left. Kagome moved her head slightly and caught a glimpse of a young girl. Her hair was short and hung at her jaw line in large white waves. Her eyes glowed a bright black and Kagome could see large white ears pointing high above her head. A small silver choker hung around her neck. The girl seemed the least threatening out of the three demons.

"Yes, hold yourself Masaru let him answer." Mayumi ordered, she seemed to be the one with the most authority in the group, "So, half demon, where is your collar? We all know that once the collar is removed you are under the control of the human who removed it and since this human is still alive I'm assuming that she was the one who took it off, otherwise I doubt you would let her continue to breath."

Kagome shook under Mayumi's words. She didn't shake because of the threat though; she shook because every word was true. Why had Inuyasha let her tag along for so long? Why hadn't he killed her the first night she had removed his collar? He would be better off without her, mating mark or not, he would have been better off.

"This human did not remove my collar. I am keeping her alive for my own reasons." Inuyasha answered. He shifted a hand over Kagome's neck, covering the mating mark at the base of her throat. 'Can they not know?' Kagome asked herself, 'Is it not right for me to have his mark?'

"Then how can you stand before me without a collar half demon?" Mayumi yelled as she took an aggressive step towards Inuyasha. It was clear that the situation had gone from curious to venomous.

"I stand before you as a free being! This human did not remove my collar! No human removed my collar! Look!" Inuyasha shouted rolling Kagome away from his chest and into his curled left arm, still covering her neck, "Do you see a collar? Do you see any beads? I have none of those restraints because I removed them myself!"

The air was silent, not still but silent. The wind continued to blow through the clearing and over the river, but the very words and breath of the beings in the clearing was non-existent.

"…How?" the young girl's voice choked out. Kagome watched as her face fell into a muddled pool of jealousy and hope. Inuyasha had announced his freedom, but these demons they weren't free. Each still bore the collar that bound their powers.

"I fought against the restraints, I…I needed to break free to save something important to me…" Inuyasha explained, trailing off.

"Why you? Why only you? You think that we haven't tried? You think we haven't also fought! You think we didn't want to save what we found important?" Mayumi screamed her twanged voice cracking as she let out the poisoned accusations.

The air cackled with Mayumi's crunched hissing. Inuyasha pulled Kagome back into his chest and braced himself for an attack. It was fast, too fast for Kagome to see, Mayumi struck at them.

Even with her demon powers sealed Kagome could feel her lucid aura and feel the power she wielded. Inuyasha quickly jumped out of the way. She may have seemed stronger but she wasn't faster.

"Please! Stop this Mayumi! He has done nothing wrong!" The younger girl screamed crumbling to the ground. At once Mayumi stopped, her body was still primed for a fight, but her aura was one of pain instead of anger.

"Mayumi?" Masaru asked, taking a tentative step towards her, but keeping his axe between them. Mayumi sighed and pulled her body up. Slowly she walked towards Inuyasha.

"Please, let me see for myself…" Mayumi said. She raised her hands and reached for his neck. Inuyasha forced Kagome down away from him but still in his grasp. Kagome's neck was being bent in a way she didn't think possible. Inuyasha's grip was too strong, he seemed to have forgotten his tight hold on her neck as he pushed her further away from him and twisted her fragile body.

"It…it is true…" Mayumi said, another sigh escaped her lips. Her hands now seemed to be dusting Inuyasha's neck and upper chest, as though she was looking for a sign that the collar or beads were still present.

"You are a great being, half-demon, to be able to do what we could not." She added her hands resting firmly on his shoulders. Kagome tried her best to keep quiet about the pain that was dripping through her body. Everything felt wrong, out of place. Her neck was near her crouched knee and her arms were twisted up behind her from his forceful grip. Suddenly as Mayumi touched Inuyasha he shoved his arm down even further causing a searing shattering pain to explode in Kagome's arm.

"Ahhh!" Kagome screamed, letting out the painful cries she had been holding back. All at once tears sprang over her eyes and sobs wracked her body. Her arm was on fire! Shattered and on fire!

"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed, immediately releasing her. Kagome's body fell to the grass on her hurt arm. Another electric jolt of pain rammed through her when her injured right arm hit the ground. The ground she had once thought soft now broke her bones. Kagome let out another pained yelp before rolling onto her left arm.

"What? What happened?" Inuyasha asked, she withered on the ground, she was in pain. Her face contorted into a pain expression that ran down her features. At last Inuyasha's eyes ran over her now limp and bent arm. He crouched over her, panic coursing through him, how had this happened? He was just holding her then… He had been holding her neck… Holding her arms… He had done this.

"Her arm is broken." Mayumi stated, giving Kagome a swift kick with her foot into Kagome's twisted arm. The kick sent Kagome squirming away from her attacker. "Better to leave her here, she won't make it much further. Looks like you shattered her bone completely. Oh well, come with us we have many questions for yo-"

Mayumi's orders were cut short as Inuyasha pushed her away from Kagome. When Mayumi didn't leave Kagome's body immediately he threw a punch. Growls erupted from his throat as he tried to get close and comfort Kagome without hurting her. He felt it again, that same boiling sensation. His own skin rejecting his blood as his eyes faded to black.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Mayumi screamed at Inuyasha. He had shoved her and punched her all for approaching that human!

"Damned half-demon! How dare you hurt Mayumi!" Masaru shouted brandishing his axe above his head.

"Mayumi! Masaru! Quiet yourselves. He isn't himself anymore; he won't be able to answer you." The young girl said. "His aura, his scent, it is not that of a half-demon. It is that of a fully fledged demon."

Kagome peeked through her pain and tears to see red glowing eyes hovering over her. Her eyes sprang open to find Inuyasha's red eyed self crouched over her, his breathing was rough and haggard, as though he couldn't gulp down the air.

"Inu-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked, her voice faltering with the sting of her arm. Inuyasha tried to touch her arm and Kagome screamed when he put pressure on the now shattered bone fragments that were lodged into her muscles and skin. Inuyasha jumped back, his eyes filled with hate and remorse. Kagome could see he was at a loss of what to do for her and it was driving him crazy.

"You, human girl! Can you hear me?" The young girl shouted. Kagome tilted her head back as best she could till she could see the small demon. Kagome's head gave a weak nod.

"Good! Inuyasha is in a state of great danger right now, both to himself and to you. I need you to try and calm him down if you can! If I can get close enough to him I can put him into a trance like sleep!" The young demon shouted. Kagome was having a hard time understand the girl's words.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome said in a whisper. His aura was increasing by the second. She could feel it building, boiling over. 'He could hurt himself?' Kagome thought. No, she wouldn't let anything hurt him. If she could help him, in any way, give him even a fraction of the help he had given her she was going to do it. Gathering her strength Kagome turned towards him. It was then that she saw the damage done to her arm. There were large cuts and welt all up her forearm where the bone had tried to break through her skin. The blood poured out of the wounds and ran over the grass, turning it a sickly copper color.

Kagome held back her stomach; afraid she would throw up at the sight of her own mangled flesh and tried to focus on Inuyasha's face. It faded from blur to blur. 'I'm losing blood…fast…' Kagome thought. She could feel her body weakening, but her mind was far from over with this fight.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. Her voice was strong and it broke the red eyed Inuyasha's hate filled aura. At once his eyes were connected with hers. Suddenly a small thump hit Inuyasha's upper shoulder. All at once Kagome watched Inuyasha's eyes begin to close and his body fall towards her. Kagome screamed as he landed on her arm, she could feel and hear the blood being forced out by the pressure of his unconscious body. She was through. This was it. It all just hurt so much, so very much. She felt Inuyasha's weight being lifted from her body, but there was no relief from the now numbing pain. Kagome mustered the last of her strength to keep her eyes open and watch the blurred scene as the other demons came running over and help Inuyasha up. Mayumi and Masaru each took one of his arms over their shoulders and carried him away, out of the field and into the forest.

'Good,' She thought, 'He will be okay. They will help him.' Kagome let her eyes slide shut. There wasn't pain anymore, just an unbearable weariness. But, it felt nice, to sink so calmly into such a needed rest. Her arm no longer screamed out in pain. Her ankle no longer throbbed. Her mind no longer needed to think. And Inuyasha…Inuyasha was safe.


	15. Chapter 15

The darkness was numbing; something both wonderful and frightening. It set itself deep into her bones and slithered through her mind, curling into each crevice. Kagome floated above the clouds. She was neither here nor there, her mind both her own and yet foreign.

She could hear the voices as they flew in from another place. They were close, but muffled. The words were wasted on her though; she couldn't understand their meaning at the moment, just that they were words.

All at once the sound of ripping flesh brought her to the ground. Her flight of nothingness ended with her body slamming back into a reality of pain.

"Shhhh… It's okay…" A small soft voice assured her. Kagome's pain came back in sections. First her legs, a throbbing of sorts that felt as though it was climbing up from her ankles, next, her stomach with a sickening emptiness and the aftertaste of bile, and then she felt her right arm. It was on fire, surely it had to be. The flesh felt as though it was completely gone with the strings of muscles and veins exposed to the harsh air. Her voice was caught in her dry throat as she listened to another piece of skin being pulled off of her own arm. She could feel everything. The thick flesh grabbed onto the tissue beneath it, refusing to let go of its tattered domain. The tendons snapped back down to her bleeding muscles as the skin finally relinquished its hold. 'Too much! Too much!' Kagome inwardly screamed. The pain had her in its fiery grasp and she was helpless against its power.

"I'm almost done. Please just don't faint again… I promise just one more piece…" The voice said as Kagome felt another chunk of her shredded skin being pulled apart from her arm. The pain was quick, the last piece of flesh small.

"Ahhh!" Kagome let out, finally gaining control of her voice. It was a weak groan, but it felt good to voice her pain.

"Okay, I've removed all of the damaged tissue. Thanks for not fainting on me there," the voice said. Kagome could hear the light splashing of water and the muffled jumbling of fabric. "I really didn't know if you were going to make it there for a while, but you proved them wrong, you're pretty strong for a human."

At those words Kagome's eyes flung themselves open. Everything came flooding back to her, the escape, the cave, the demons, the mark, Inuyasha! Her body moved of its own accord. Instantly her eyes took in the small dark room, the tiny candles around the bed, the smell of rotting wood, and the laughter from down the glowing hall. Then she heard it, a chuckle really, but it was still there, Inuyasha's laughter, a crisp clear tone that played at her heart.

"Whoa! Easy there! You really can't be moving around with your arm like that! At least wait till I get some new skin growing." The voice ordered. Kagome turned her head to see the poorly lit features of the young girl demon she had seen in the woods. Up close she was even more amazing. Her hair was in a wild halo of slivery curls around her head. They shone in the dim light in a way that reminded Kagome of faint starlight. Her white ears stretched far above her head and came to a lean point with small tufts of fur at the ends. Several large red drops hung in her black pupils. Each time Kagome would move they followed her motions. The girl seemed to have no trouble seeing in the dark as she slowly pushed Kagome back down. The motion was far more forceful than Kagome would have thought possible with the young girl's figure.

"Now I'm going to put some medicine on your arm, it will sting, but it will re-grow your skin." The girl explained as she prepared a vile and some strips of cloth.

"Wh…what's your name?" Kagome asked, her voice dry and hoarse.

"Oh, sorry for not introducing myself, I'm Rei." She answered.

"Where am I? And Inuyasha is he… is he okay?" Kagome had a hard time choking out the last part of her question. From the sound of his laughter he had to be fine, and that should have made her happy. But, the fact that she had been in so much pain, so close to death and he had just been laughing it up with other nameless voices left a bad taste in her mouth. 'I'm getting conceited…' She thought. 'There's no reason for Inuyasha to have to worry about me. To him I'm probably nothing but a burden.'

"We're at a hideout of ours, it's really just an abandoned cottage, though Kagome, and yes, Inuyasha is fine." Rei explained as she motioned for Kagome to lift up her right arm. At once Kagome was in shock; her entire arm was devoid of skin! She could see everything, the bone, the muscles, even the tiny pumping veins.

"How?" Kagome managed to choke out as she held her arm away from her, as though it was something foreign.

"Whoops, sorry, I didn't mean for you to have to look at it." Rei said as she huddled over Kagome's arm. But, that wasn't what Kagome was confused about, it was the fact that her arm, though it didn't have skin and was bleeding, didn't really hurt!

"N-no I mean my arm doesn't…doesn't hurt…and how did you know my name?" Kagome asked tracing her eyes up and down her arm to make sure it was really connected to the rest of her.

"Well, Inuyasha was saying that name in the field I assumed it was yours and as for your arm, well, I guess I didn't really think about how you would respond to demon medicine…" Rei answered in a thoughtful tone.

"De-demon medicine?" Kagome whispered back. What had they given her? What would it do to her? Would it kill her? She was no demon after all.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt you. The effects, though, are probably just amplified. Here stop shaking and I'll explain it to you, okay?" Rei asked as she began pouring the liquid from the vile onto Kagome's arm. There was the sound of steam hissing as it hit her flesh, but only a light tingle of pain came from her arm. Kagome nodded at Rei and fully extended her arm to give the young demon more access.

"Okay, well, where to start. You fainted after he turned…so I guess I'll start from about there," Rei began, "You see half-demons are not a rare thing in this day and age but it is rare for them to have survived as long as Inuyasha has. Most don't make it past puberty because their demon blood starts to take over and eventually it ruins the human parts of their bodies. Now, I don't know why that didn't happen with Inuyasha, all I know is that he is a very powerful being, demon or not. So, when I felt him change I was afraid that he would expire right then and there in the field, but you were able to call him back from his demon hysteria. At first I didn't understand why you had such a sway over his demon self. After all, you are just a human and even a fully fledged demon cannot keep complete control over themselves when they enter a frenzy. But, he did. At the time it didn't really matter why or how you got his attention away from us, but after you fainted and I was able to subdue Inuyasha I found out why."

Rei paused from her wrapping of Kagome's arm and lifted her black eyes to Kagome's exposed neck. Kagome gasped when she remembered the mark there. Her left hand immediately flew up to try and conceal the already known secret. Kagome wouldn't have thought that the mark meant anything to the other demons, but Inuyasha had guarded it from their view in the field. That was reason enough to think that the mark was not meant for other demon's eyes.

"Don't worry," Rei said going back to her work on Kagome's arm, "I won't tell the others. You know, they don't like humans in the least, Mayumi and Masaru, in fact they wanted to leave you there to die in the field." Rei paused and Kagome's eyes widened in fear. They would have left her there? To die on her own? Then again she had been ready for that, had told herself it was going to happen. But, actually hearing it from another's mouth seemed to make it more devious, more horrid, more real.

"Why? Why did you…" Kagome began to ask as Rei tied the first of piece of cloth to Kagome's skin.

"I saw the mark on your neck. I knew right then that you were his mate; the way that he protected you even when he wasn't in his right mind. I couldn't leave you there to die, it would have killed him. And…" Rei sighed as she slowly stopped wrapping Kagome's arm to look her in the eyes, "I don't hate humans."

It was meant as a shameful thing. Something to be guilty over, Kagome could tell that much. Kagome didn't know what to feel, she knew that Rei was an outcast among her band of demons for thinking this way, but she couldn't help but feel relieved to hear that at least one demon here didn't want her dead.

Rei looked away and began to wrap Kagome's arm again. "After that I convinced Mayumi and Masaru to let me bring you back along with Inuyasha, but, for both your safety and his I didn't let them see your mark. It's bad enough to see a fully fledged demon with a human mate, but a half-demon, the blood becoming so mixed would anger Mayumi to every extent. And when Mayumi's angry Masaru's angry. I was able to re-seal your bone, though I may have missed a few fragments, but, the healing I used to do so badly damaged the skin you had left on your arm. I had no choice but to remove it and start anew." Rei said with a sigh, ending her explanation. Kagome stayed silent as Rei wrapped up her arm.

"Why…why don't you hate humans?" Kagome asked in a whisper. In reality Kagome really wanted to know more about how Inuyasha was doing, was he okay? Did he get hurt at all? Did he care that she was hurt? But the little demon before her looked as though she was ready to break. Rei's eyes were already brimming over with ancient tears as her hands began to fumble with the wrappings on Kagome's arm.

"I…I can't hate humans. Not all of them anyway. I was saved by a human, granted it was from other humans, but still she was the kindest most pure being I have ever met. How can I say that I hate all humans when she is part of the human race?" Rei paused and wiped away a renegade tear that had rolled down her face. "She was an old stubborn woman really," Rei said laughing in a sad chuckle, "She would always make me follow these strict house rules, but I always felt safe around her. She bought me from a cruel man, he even gave me the name Rei, it means zero. I was nothing to him. But, then Ma bought me off of him. He was beating me in the road; she saw and made him sell me to her. People made fun of her, said that she must be a really lonely old woman to want to have a demon incompetent enough to be named zero. But, she never said my name like it was a bad thing. There was always a pleasant ring to my name when it came from her lips." Rei smiled and started laughing to herself.

"This one time I was playing in the garden, which she had warned me not to do because of the prickle pears, and then what do you know I get stung and my finger starts to swell up, really big, huge like a kettle! And then there Ma came, I can still see her, running around the corner of the house like a mad woman, waving her arms and shouting my name. She was in a panic because the poison of the prickle pear can sometimes kill humans. But, I am a demon. Nonetheless, Ma carried me the whole tow miles to the doctor's in town. When we got in there she demanded to see the doctor at once! It was great! The nurse at the counter didn't know what to say, so she let Ma into the doctor's healing room." Rei paused for a breath, gleaming with pride for the woman and giggling at her own memories.

"When the doctor sees Ma carrying me in, mind you I was still very young, he freaks out because my hand is swollen. At first he's all running around as Ma explains to him that I got stung by the prickle bush, but, then he turns around and actually looks and me. He sees I'm a demon and he just sighs and says 'Miss this is a demon child, she won't die from this, in fact why did you even bring her here? You know I don't treat demons.' He was a really big shot doctor in the town so he got to say who he did and didn't treat. By then I was feeling really foolish and I just wanted to get out of there, but not Ma, oh no. Instead she marches right up to that big shot doctor and gives him the meanest face I'd ever seen her make and says 'Well it's a good thing that you don't treat demons cause I wouldn't let someone as brainless as you even touch a hair on my girl's head! If you have the time to turn patients away then I'd say that you aren't much of a doctor at all! Can't even heal the sickly and you walk around with those monocles on your beady eyes as though you're better than us farmers and merchants! You better hope you never end up at my door asking for anything because I'd have to turn you away cause I don't help pompous fools!' and then just like that she spins on her heel, picks me up, and we're on our way home! It was great; I could hear the doctor swearing and yelling at the other patients and staff to mind their own business." Rei finished her story with a smile and began to tie the last bit of cloth around Kagome's arm.

Kagome could feel her heart grow warm from the girl's story. The young demon really did love the human woman with all of her heart.

"Where is she now?" Kagome asked, not really thinking about her question. A sad look downwards gave Kagome her answer.

"She died five years ago," Rei said as she began to clean up the room, "Her age finally took hold of her and she collapsed. I sat by her side for days hoping her eyes would open up and she'd yell at me for sitting around like she used to, but she didn't. Then these men came and busted down the door, they took everything of Ma's, even me, said it was for a tax increase and I was her property after all. I cried a lot when they took me. Then I was shipped to a workhouse, and after that a whorehouse in the west. I hated my life so much, so very much. Then I accidentally met Mayumi on the streets when I was taking out the trash. She saw me and told me that it didn't have to be this way, that I could start a new life. I didn't believe her at first, but at that time I was so ready to die that I thought, 'heck, at least I'll die trying to get out.' But, it did work; I did escape from that place. Mayumi and I began to travel south after we heard of the promise of freedom for demons. We met Masaru along the way; he had escaped from a workhouse after killing his master. We were free, but not entirely. We still had the collars on. I tell you, we tried everything to get them off, but no luck. We were on our way to a demon shelter about twenty miles south when we met you." Rei smiled back at Kagome and handed her a cup of water. Kagome eagerly took the cup and drank it in one gulp. Rei had accomplished.

"Here eat this too." Rei said as she handed Kagome some rather stale bread. As Kagome ate Rei suddenly sat down near her and began to shift Kagome's large dress up towards Kagome's neck.

"What?" Kagome tried to ask, her mouth full of the tough bread.

"You can't let Mayumi or Masaru see your mark. They will most likely kill you if they find out that you are in any way in control of Inuyasha. And, Kagome, I should warn you, Mayumi has taken a liking to Inuyasha. I don't know if she will try to claim him, but she will not tolerate another female, demon or not, near him. That's why I've kept by you and away from her." Rei explained trying to smooth Kagome's oversized dress around her neck.

Kagome was in shock. Mayumi wanted Inuyasha? For herself? It didn't seem possible, it hadn't even crossed Kagome's mind that Inuyasha could be taken away by anything other than humans. Would he like her company? Would he sleep with her? Would he mark her? Kagome's mind spun with the new emotion of jealousy and the old feeling of insecurity.

"Wait, do you… do you want Inuyasha too?" Kagome asked Rei in a small voice. Why else would Mayumi not let Rei near Inuyasha? Why else would Rei have to be away from the other demons?

"Hmm? Oh, no, I don't want him. To tell the truth I don't think I can ever find a mate," Rei said giving that sad smile again, "The whorehouse warped me pretty badly where males are concerned, demon or not. But, when a female demon is after a male it's better to steer clear, otherwise you might end up in a fight, and I don't want to fight Mayumi. I value my position here too much to anger her." Rei explained.

"Oh…I see…" Kagome could hardly take it all in. She didn't know what to feel. She wanted Inuyasha, wanted him in a way she had never wanted another being, but if he could be happier with a demon, could be safer, than what choice did she have? Kagome wanted what was best for him, even if it meant removing herself from the picture. It hurt, hurt worse that her ankle, worse than her arm. It was a cold blade sliding itself in between her ribs and planting seeds of doubt and envy in her heart. She felt the tears begin to build in her eyes.

"Oh! This is simply impossible!" Rei suddenly exclaimed. Kagome was shocked out of her own feeling and looked over to see a very frustrated Rei. At first Kagome didn't understand why Rei was so irritated. However, a closer inspection of Kagome's oversized dress gave the answers.

Rei had been trying to get the large collar of the dress to cover the mark at the base of Kagome's throat, but the heavy fabric kept falling down below her collar bones.

"Kagome, you don't have any emotional attachments to this oversized burlap sack do you?" Rei asked, swatting some of the loose fabric around Kagome's lap.

"No…I don't…" Kagome answered confused by Rei's question.

"Perfect! Then take it off and I'll get you something that actually fits!" Rei said shooting the dress one more dirty look before she went over to a small trunk in the corner of the room. Kagome slowly pulled the large dress away from her small body. She looked down to see a very prominent rib cage and hip bones staring back at her, she looked like a skeleton with a thin piece of skin stretched over the top. Kagome shied away from her own body and kicked the dress off her foot.

"Here, this should work." Rei said as she handed Kagome a high necked green dress. It was short, only coming down to her knees, and the sleeves were a bit too long for her arms but it felt better than the itchy brown dress she had been wearing. Rei helped her roll up her sleeves so that her hands could poke through. For the first time Kagome looked at what Rei was wearing. It was a simple light blue smock with dark leggings underneath. The small silver chain that hung tightly around her neck shone in the burning candle light.

It dangled so gracefully that it was hard for Kagome to believe that such a delicate thing could bind a demon. Suddenly Rei's hands were in Kagome's hair, twisting it up and back. Kagome instinctually tried to pull away but Rei steadied her.

"It's okay, I'm just putting your hair up. You're lucky I got it untangled while you were sleeping. I haven't played with another person's hair in a long time. Ma and I used to take turns doing each other's hair when I was little. Of course, back then I couldn't do much more than a few braids." Rei said in a distant voice as she pulled Kagome's hair up off of her neck. It felt good to have hands touch her head. Slowly Kagome felt herself drifting to sleep from the gentle movements of Rei's fingers. Kagome felt when Rei had finished with her hair. She tentatively felt with her hand the graceful braid that now hung around her shoulder and to her waist.

"You're very good at this." Kagome said, giving Rei a smile.

"Thanks, I guess I am a pretty good hairdresser." Rei answered jokingly, trying to shake off Kagome's complement.

"No, I don't mean just that. Everything that you have helped me with you were so good at. My wounds especially…" Kagome said trailing off, hoping that she hadn't made Rei uncomfortable with the praise.

"Well, I am a bat demon and healing is one of our specialties, at least that's what I've been told. Sometimes I think that demons are nothing like their animal counterparts, have you ever seen a real bat heal anything? But then there are times when it just makes sense. Like, with Masaru, he's a boar demon. He's strong as hell, but single minded and slow when it comes to planning. Mayumi is pretty close to her animal too, being a snake demon. She has a fiery temper when you get her riled, but if you're ever in a tough spot she'll be there to help you." Rei explained. Kagome had noticed, through their conversations, that Rei didn't like having attention on herself. She told wonderful stories of others, but never about her own self. Kagome didn't know if it was a self loathing or merely a humbleness that made Rei do this.

"Ah, you look much better." Rei said as she looked Kagome over. Rei smiled and put out her hand for Kagome to grab. Kagome felt Rei slowly easing her up. But, once Kagome tried to put weight on her ankle she fell instantly letting out a pained moan as she hit the floor. Rei crouched over her instantly apologizing for not having seen to her leg wounds as well. But Kagome didn't hear Rei's rushed apologies, all she heard was Inuyasha's voice call her name.

"Kagome?" he asked from down the hall. The rest of the voices were silent.

"She's awake! We're in here!" Rei called down the dim hallway. At once Kagome heard hard footsteps coming down the hallway. She couldn't see his face because of the light, but his outline in the shadows was enough to make her heart skip a beat.

"Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered. She didn't know how to feel around him. Everything had changed. Inuyasha now had other options, options that didn't have to include her. Kagome wanted to run to him and from him all at once. She was glad that her ankles made her mobility impossible or she would be running in circles.

"Kagome…how…how are you feeling?" Inuyasha asked, still not entering the room. Kagome could tell from his shadow that he wasn't looking at her but at the ground in front of him. 'Has he already decided? Does he already not want me?' Kagome asked herself, anxiety swelling up inside of her. It ballooned in her heart and blocked her voice. She let her head fall forwards and knew she wanted to run then.

Rei watched as neither of them would look at one another. A quick glance down the hallway told her that no one else was listening. A sly smile that neither one saw crept up on her lips as she began to speak, "Oh, Inuyasha thank goodness you're here! Kagome has been calling your name this whole time!" Rei said in a dramatic voice. At once Kagome jerked her now blushing head up and looked right at Rei. Was it true? Had she been calling his name? In her sleep maybe? Kagome's eyes instantly went to Inuyasha who was now staring right at her. They locked eyes and Inuyasha stepped into the room and over to where Kagome was laying. He reached out a clawed hand towards her and she lifted her own to meet his.

"Inuyasha? Where'd you go?" Mayumi's voice called from down the hall. Her voice still held that high pitched twang that Kagome was beginning to dislike. In an instant Rei was standing up, moving herself away from Inuyasha and into a nearby corner. Kagome remembered Rei's warning as she heard sharp footsteps come down the hall.

"Inuyasha!" Mayumi called, her voice growing tenser at his lack of an answer. Kagome's blood grew cold as she thought of that woman taking Inuyasha away, but she couldn't put him in danger just because she felt insecure about their relationship. Kagome shoved, or tried to shove, Inuyasha away from herself. She couldn't let herself be seen so close to him when Mayumi arrived.

At first Inuyasha was confused by Kagome's actions. She suddenly put her hands on his chest and shoved at him. His next thought was much more feral, a phrase of, 'how dare she' ran through his head. After all they had been through together she was still trying to get away from him? He was about to pull her into himself just to spite her when he looked down and saw her bandaged arm. Every thought against her vanished. She should be scared of him, she should push him away.

Kagome tried to shove him back, but, she was sure it wouldn't work. They hadn't seen each other in a long time and she was hurt, he would want to check her over, to hold her close, just as he did before. So, it came as a great shock when he complied with her feeble attempts and backed away from her.

It slithered down her throat and dropped into her stomach, spreading roots and growing thorns, the feeling of being left. She had felt it before, with her parents, but this was different. It was a cold, wet feeling that flopped inside of her and made her heart sink. 'He doesn't want me?' were the only words she could think.

"There you are! I was looking all over for you Inuyasha." Mayumi called. She walking in to the room without hesitation and knelt down next to Inuyasha, her hand sliding over his bare back. "Humph, so it did pull through huh?"She said, giving Kagome a disdained look.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha said as he stood and walked out of the room. Mayumi clung to his arm, not very discreetly shoving her breasts into his side. Their voices slowly trailed down the hall and out of earshot.

"It's not fair right?" Rei asked. The young demon had slid down to the floor and was nestled into the corner. "The way that he looked at you, the way that you shoved him away, how she took him, it's not fair right?" Rei asked again, her voice drifting through the tense air. Kagome couldn't move, she just felt the tears slide down her cheeks and heard them splash on the floor.

Finally she found her words, "No, it's not fair. But, it's better this way right? Better for him?" Kagome asked. She wanted an answer so badly, wanted Rei to say that she had done the right thing. Instead she heard a scoffing sound from the corner.

"Please, this is why most demons don't like humans. You never think right. You always do thing according to how they were done before you. That's why I loved Ma so much, she wasn't like the rest of you, so set in your traditions that you can't even see the old ways are suffocating you. It's not even pitiable, just disgusting…" Rei trailed off. Kagome looked at her but Rei would not meet her eyes. Instead the young demon stared haughtily at a speck of dust, as though it was more respectable than Kagome.

But, it was true. No matter how much Rei's words hurt they were true. Hell, it had even happened to Kagome herself! Her parents were drowning in their old traditions; her mother had even tried to smother Kagome herself with their old ways of thinking. It wasn't enough to just be. To just to follow the path that was laid out before her, to just go with the flow, it wasn't enough.

"It's not enough…" Kagome chanted quietly. She didn't hear Rei get up but suddenly the young demon was standing in front of her, a challenging expression hanging from her features.

"What's not enough?" Rei asked, her tone demanding.

"It's not enough!" Kagome let loose then, she didn't care who heard her she just wanted to say it, "It's not enough! Just following, just doing, and just waiting! I've had enough of it! I've had enough of all of it! I'm not happy right now! I want…I want…" The tears were now freely flowing down Kagome's face.

"What do you want?" Rei asked, her voice getting louder as well.

"I want…I want to be happy! I want to get to smile! I want to be able to laugh! I want…please…I just want to be happy…" Kagome said, her resolve was breaking, she just wanted to run. To run as fast as she could, to hell with hurt ankles! She wanted to run so fast that she could cry and the tears wouldn't get a chance to stick to her cheeks, they would just fly out of her eyes and into the world she would leave behind. She wanted to do these things, wanted the tears to not be falling as they were.

"Kagome, Ma used to tell me that no one can ever really be happy, it's just not possible." Rei said, Kagome felt herself fall, was it all worthless? All those screams and tears in hope of better things? "But," Rei continued, "It is possible to have moments of happiness. People can't be always happy it's just not possible, but you can still find happiness in moments along the way. Our paths in life aren't always illuminated with smiles and laughter, most of the time they are clouded over with shadows of doubt and misfortune. These things are inevitable. Without the pain the joy wouldn't feel half as good. She told me, the deeper your pain the brighter your joy will be. I didn't believe her when I was little but that was because I was in a moment of happiness. My time with Ma is all happiness. But, my time after is a shadow that I wish I could erase. It hurts me to think about my time in the west, but I can't make it go away. All I can do is hope that a greater joy is on the other side of my sorrow, it has to be…" Rei said. She seemed to say the last bit a prayer, almost willing it to be true, though in many cases, Kagome felt, Rei knew it was not. "I got to have my happiness already, but, you haven't, have you?" Rei asked. Kagome let her head drop, could she think of a moment that she had been happy in that house? No.

"I-I want mine…" Kagome said. She knew what she had to do to get it. The one place she felt happy and safe was with Inuyasha. Kagome was sick of being pushed over, of being stepped on. She wanted something, for the first time in her life she wanted something that was within her grasp.

"Well, you'd better go catch him…" Rei said, throwing a rusted cane down beside Kagome. It hit the floor with a hard thud.

Kagome's brow furrowed, determination pounded through her veins and ripped the roots of anxiety from her stomach. Kagome's hand grasped the cane and slowly she picked herself up. By the time Kagome was able to stand with the cane Rei was back in her corner, bent over the open trunk. Her back was to Kagome.

"Thank you…" Kagome whispered as she hobbled out of the room and into the hallway. The light from the hallway was blinding compared to the dim candles. Kagome suddenly realized why, there were windows in the hallway. The sun was out and bursting through the broken window panes with vigor. Kagome felt ignited by the warmth of the sun as she worked her way to the small door at the end of the hallway. She slowly unlatched it before letting it fall open. And there, under the shade of a tree, stood Inuyasha, with Mayumi tightly clinging to him.

Kagome felt the boiling pits of jealousy start to spurt within her. A tiny voice called 'You can still turn back, maybe he won't want you at all, maybe he'll push you away, maybe he'll leave you here' the voice taunted in her head. Kagome felt the insecurities start to slip back in and before they could take hold she let her feelings burst forth from her lips, into the sunlight air, over the green grass, and right to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha! I love you!" It was said without expectation of anything in return, a pure plea for merely his understanding. So, Kagome didn't think about the other set of ears that would hear this confession, didn't imagine what she had just done until she heard the twanged hiss behind her.


	16. Chapter 16

The blow to her back knocked the wind from Kagome's lungs. A coppery aftertaste of blood slid into her gasping lips.

"You little bitch! Where do you get off saying that? Know your place you filthy human!" Mayumi screamed, baring her fangs. As her swift body pounced towards Kagome's rasping form she was knocked out of the way by a broad set of shoulders.

"Stay away from her!" Inuyasha bellowed. He knelt over Kagome and helped her sit up, trying to get her to catch her breath. He had let her push him away when he thought she didn't want him. But here and now she had come to him declaring herself to him! The pride swelled in his chest and a protective stance over her slid into his body. "I will not let you hurt her!" Inuyasha's voice roared.

Mayumi was in shock at Inuyasha's actions. None of it made sense. Why would he protect the human? Then she saw it. Under the now tattered collar of the human's dress, right next to her collar bone, the red welt of the mating mark. Rage pounded inside of Mayumi as her aura grew and grew.

"You fucking sick bastard!" Mayumi yelled, "You marked her! Her!" It wasn't jealousy that ran through Mayumi now it was outrage and hatred. How could Inuyasha mark a human! Humans were nothing more than filthy cowards! His blood was diluted enough as it was! "Entangling yourself with a human…" Mayumi growled, "Makes you dead to me!" She sprang at both Inuyasha and Kagome then.

Inuyasha moved Kagome under him and prepared himself to push Mayumi back. He gasped as Mayumi's suddenly unleashed her fangs. They slid into the skin on his arm. He threw her off in an instant but he could feel the diluted venom making his arm heavy, slow.

A loud crash behind him alerted Inuyasha to Masaru's presence. Masaru had ripped up a nearby log and was brandishing it at Inuyasha. Kagome had slid herself back over to the tall tree next to Inuyasha. She wanted to stay out of his way. 'This is all my fault!' She thought with a sinking feeling. If only she had saved her feeling inside of her. If only she hadn't done this.

Suddenly Inuyasha grabbed her up in his arms and leapt out of Masaru's range as the demon threw the log at them. The boar demon then ran over to Mayumi and began helping her recover from Inuyasha's earlier blow.

"You bastard! How dare you hurt her!" Masaru howled. He pulled the large axe on his back out of its sheath and started towards them. Inuyasha tried to pull Kagome away but the venom had already made his arm useless and it was slowing down the rest of him. He set her down near the cottage and crouched in front of her. She could see that he was having a hard time staying upright. He couldn't fight in this condition.

Kagome's body was ice cold with fear. She was going to die here, she was sure of it. And worse she was going to take Inuyasha down with her. Guilt wrapped around her throat and stole her breath making her gasp for air. It would be over, just when she knew what she wanted.

"Hey, don't look like that, okay?" Inuyasha said, turning to look at her. Masaru was still in the field, Mayumi limping behind him, both stalking closer with a bloodlust in their eyes. "I don't regret a thing I did for you. And, you can't know how happy I was when you said you loved me." He finished, showing her a soft smile. Kagome's breathing stopped. It was too sad to think that they would die like this.

"I'm so sorry Inuyasha! I love you and I'm sorry…" Kagome said, tears washing down her face. He nodded and scooted closer to her, his legs collapsing from the venom's power, and wrapped her in his arms.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too…" He whispered. Masaru was not ten feet away. He raised his axe and ran straight for them. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut tight, awaiting the pain. But it didn't come. The sound of Masaru's attack had stopped as well. Kagome opened her eyes to see Inuyasha still sitting next to her, looking wide eyed at the view in front of him.

"Re-Rei?" Mayumi's voice squeaked out. Kagome followed the sound of Mayumi's voice to the scene only four feet from her. Masaru was floating in the air, well not really. It was just that Rei was so small that as she held him up, her hand grasping his neck, it looked as though Masaru was caught in mid jump, as though gravity had refused to return him to the ground.

"I think we've had enough of this for one day." Rei said, dropping Masaru to the ground. He fell with an ungraceful thump. Masaru began to cough as he crawled away from Rei.

"Rei… how could you?" Mayumi asked. Her tone was that of disbelief and betrayal.

"I did what I thought was right. There are no other explanations or excuses I can give." Rei answered coldly. The young demon turned on her heel and walked back towards Inuyasha and Kagome's huddled figures.

Kagome watched as Mayumi shook with rage. Suddenly the snake demon ran towards them, her fangs glistening in the sun. It took only a second for Rei to turn and grab Mayumi's throat, holding her an arm's length away. It looked so odd, such a tiny girl holding back a fully grown woman with only one hand. Mayumi snapped at Rei in a frustrated rage, but Rei merely watched her, eyes half closed, as though she was bored.

"Traitor!" Mayumi coughed as Rei tightened her hold on the snake demon's neck. Rei seemed unfazed by the word and let Mayumi snap a few more times before throwing her body to the ground as she had done with Masaru.

"Call me what you want. I had hoped that this day wouldn't have to come but you left me no choice, Mayumi, Masaru. This," Rei said pointing back at Kagome and Inuyasha, "Is a mated pair. Their blood does not interest me. It is enough to know that if one of them were to die the other would find no joy in life. I have followed you, Mayumi, through many decisions and journeys. I have never opposed you before so perhaps you thought me weak. I hate to have to threaten you, but, you have seen that the extent of my powers far out ways your own. Therefore, I ask that you do not try to counter my actions by attempting to hurt either of these beings." With that Rei bent down next to Inuyasha, checking his wound.

"F-fuck you!" Mayumi shouted. With that she turned and hurriedly stumbled away from the cottage and into the field. Masaru looked from Rei to Mayumi, confusion on his face. At last he got up and began to follow Mayumi. Their shadows disappeared into the forest across the field.

Kagome instantly turned to Inuyasha. She started to panic when she noticed his eyes were closed and his body limp. Tears grew in her eyes as she looked to Rei, hoping that the bat demon's powers of healing could help.

"He's fine," Rei answered as she helped Kagome to lay Inuyasha on his back, "Normally Mayumi's venom would have killed him, but, thanks to the collar the best it can do is paralyze him for a few hours. Just let him rest."

"O-okay…why…why was she so powerful? Before, in the field where Inuyasha changed it seemed like he was stronger than her…" Kagome asked, letting her hand brush some of the dirt from Inuyasha's cheek.

"Snake demons are peculiar things. With most demons their strength is constant, never changing. But, with snake demons they can bundle up the energy in every part of their bodies and use it all at once, as Mayumi did. However, this comes at a price. By now Mayumi most likely can't even move her own body from exhaustion. Snake demons rarely use this method in fighting because it leaves them so vulnerable afterwards. When Mayumi felt the anger it most likely drove reason from her mind and she unwittingly used too much strength. She was lucky that she had the collar on, if she didn't I don't think your mate would have found as much pity with her as he did." Rei explained. She had started to rub the bite mark on Inuyasha's left arm, her tiny hands working the inflamed flesh down bit by bit.

"Pity? Kagome asked. Had Inuyasha really spared Mayumi on purpose?

"Your mate pitied Mayumi and Masaru. It was most likely because he had spent time with them, heard their stories, their pain, while I was healing you. And both Masaru's and Mayumi's pain runs deep. Your mate felt for them, so he did not kill them, however, he soon lost control of the situation after he was bitten. I do not think that he has ever fought a snake demon, or he would have avoided her fangs more easily." Rei said. She then stood up and motioned for Kagome to stand back. Suddenly the tiny demon lifted Inuyasha's unconscious body up and proceeded to go back inside the cottage. Kagome followed, limping all the way. Her crutch had long ago been lost in the grass.

…

It had been nearly an hour since Rei had brought Inuyasha back inside of the cottage and laid him on the same straw bed that Kagome had laid on that morning. Rei was still slowly rubbing the flesh around the bite wound in Inuyasha's arm. The young demon hadn't spoken since Kagome had helped her get Inuyasha settled.

Kagome's mind was in a whirl of emotions. At the forefront was her concern for Inuyasha. Would he really be okay as Rei had promised? Would his wound heal? Would his eyes open again?

Beneath her worry, though, other less demanding thoughts swirled in her head. They all rested on the tiny demon before her, Rei. Her powers had been amazing. She had so easily stopped Mayumi and Masaru, but what now? Would the other demons come back? Had Kagome inadvertently broken the bonds that held the three demons together?

"Even if you don't say anything," Rei began, making Kagome gasp at her sudden words, "I can still feel your questions."

The silence was broken and Kagome slowly lifted her head to meet Rei's eyes. Kagome was relieved when she found that Rei was still concentrating on Inuyasha's arm and not look directly at her. 'I would be too nervous to ask her if she was looking at me…' Kagome thought. There was something about Rei's large dark eyes that made Kagome feel as though the demon was just inches from disappearing, as though she could slip away at any time.

"I-I was just wondering if Inuyasha will really be okay…" Kagome whispered.

"Yes. He will be fine. The venom actually had little effect on his muscle tissue so his arm will be completely healed in a few days." Rei answered. The young demon's voice hung among them. Kagome knew that Rei could feel the other questions itching at the air between them. The thoughts in Kagome's mind longed to be freed from her lips and seek the answers Rei had.

"Will…will Mayumi and Masaru be okay?" Kagome asked slowly. Rei didn't stop her massaging of Inuyasha's wound as she glanced up at Kagome.

"They will be fine. Masaru would follow Mayumi to the ends of the earth. He will make sure that she makes it through her bout of exhaustion." Rei said in a level tone. Her face turned back down to Inuyasha's arm.

"Will they come back?" Kagome tried to hide the fear in her voice at the ominous question but it still seeped into her words.

"Hmmm, I think they most likely will return. Though, they will not attack you now that they know I will fight for you. Mayumi may be hot-headed but she knows that she needs me to get to the southern border. She may have to fight back her pride to come back, but, she will." Rei said.

"They need you?" Kagome asked, scooting closer to Rei.

"Yes, I more or less know where the border stations are that we would need to sneak past. If Mayumi were to try and go by herself she would most likely be caught by the patrol and re-enslaved." Rei explained. Before Kagome could even ask how Rei knew these things the young demon began to answer her.

"I know where the stations are because I have traveled this path before." Rei said as Kagome's eyes widened. "However, the first time I made this journey I was being brought into the northern country not running out of it."

"You…you were in…the southlands?" Kagome asked slowly. It didn't make sense. All that she had ever heard of demons was that they belonged in the southlands. Any that were foolish enough to try and take to the north were enslaved. The northland and southland boundary had always divided demons and humans. To cross into the other side was a death wish. Yet, here Rei was, claiming to be from the southlands herself.

"Yes, I was in the southern country near the border when my village was captured by humans." Rei said. Her hands had sped up their pace of rubbing the wound and Kagome could see the etchings of pained memories sprouting on Rei's face.

"B-but humans don't go into the southlands!" Kagome said worriedly, "You must have been in the northlands for them to-"

"We weren't!" Rei's retort was harsh and her words seemed to lash out at Kagome's unbeknownst ignorance. "We were well within the southern country when they came! My home was a small village; barely twenty demons living together out in the desert. At first the elders of our village were confused by the human's presence. They sent out scouts to see if perhaps the men were lost. But, the scouts didn't return. Soon more demons were sent…none of them came back. Then we heard the caravan of humans approaching our village. What was left of our warriors went forth to confront the humans. I watched with the other children as loud crashed were heard. Sand flew up all around us and blew in the wind. We couldn't see anything. Then we smelt the fire. The humans had set fire to our houses. I could hear shouts and blasts as the demons and humans fought. We children were rounded up by an old crow demon that tried to lead us out of the fighting. But, a human spotted us and headed her off.

"The human shouted something that I couldn't understand just before he threw what looked like blue lightening at the crow demon. She tried to protect us, to tell us to run, but soon she wasn't moving. She stopped telling us the run…she stopped everything. I remember I called to her again and again, but she wouldn't move. The human laughed and kicked her body before he came at us with the same strips of blue lighting waving in his hands. He struck two of the demon children nearest to him. They fell and didn't get up. The rest of us tried to run but we were quickly caught by other human hands and shoved into cages that glowed like the lightening strips. I bit and kicked, screaming for anything to help me, but, nothing came. All that I felt was the burning cold metal of the cage around me.

"Soon after I learned that the humans had conquered the arts of 'science' and were able to bind us with something called electricity. They then put a rough collar around my neck and I could no longer feel my strength. We were marched out of our home land. We were made into slaves. Tell me…how were we at fault? What did we do to deserve that?" Rei finished whispering the last questions.

Kagome had no answers. There were no answers. Cruelty knew no bounds, the south and the north didn't matter to hatred or brutality.

"I was forced to walk the path that Mayumi, Masaru, and I will follow. I know roughly where the posts will be so I can lead them back to the southern country." Rei said. She had stopped massaging Inuyasha's flesh and got up, moving towards the wash bucket in the corner. Kagome watcher the young demon's face and saw the flames of hatred spurting to life in her eyes.

None of it made sense. Demons were supposedly not a viable market. There simply wasn't a need for the demon slaves since the industries had taken off in the west. Most of the food was now grown in large fields and shipped. The chores were slowly becoming less and plumbing was being brought to even the poorest of the towns. Why? Why would the humans feel the need to invade the demon's territory and harm them so? And what about the electricity? Kagome had no idea that demons were weak against such things. She had never heard of such a theory. But, thinking back it made sense. The haggard woman at the docks whom her mother had bought Inuyasha from had used an electric stick to keep the demons in line. Was there more than just the need for labor behind the demon's enslavement?

The thoughts rushed through Kagome's head, leaving her breathless and shaking at the pain that not only Rei had suffered but other demons as well. There had been at least fifty demons in the storehouse at the docks. Were they taken like Rei was? Captured like animals and shipped to a foreign land only to be shut away in darkness. Humiliation; the word resounded in Kagome and etched itself into her bones. The whorehouses that both Rei and Inuyasha had once been in were both sources of immediately and inescapable humiliation and suffering; it wasn't labor that was needed by the humans but the all out torture of the demon race.

"Re…Rei I…" Kagome began, though she knew she couldn't finish. There was nothing but distance between her and the young demon now. Instantly Kagome looked down at Inuyasha's sleeping form.

Had he suffered as Rei had? Deep in his heart was the flame of agonizing hatred burning for the humans that had hurt him so? Just as these thoughts planted seeds of guilt in Kagome's already thudding chest Inuyasha's form began to move.


	17. Chapter 17

Kagome's breath hitched and she instantly leaned in towards Inuyasha. Her only thought was for his safety. Slowly, Inuyasha's eyes opened reliving two golden orbs and a furrowed brow. Kagome let out the breath she had been holding and felt the tension in her body release. 'He's safe' she chanted to herself.

"Can you feel your body?" Rei asked as she stood up and began to put away her supplies. Kagome watched as Inuyasha's head swiveled slowly around the room, trying to take it all in.

"Uhg, yeah trust me I can feel everything." Inuyasha groaned as he started to sit up.

"Inuyasha! No, you should rest more!" Kagome frantically explained as she tried to push him back down with little to no success.

"Actually he should be fine, Kagome. His body heals much fast that a human's so you need not worry yourself over him. In fact, it would be best if he moved around to get his body back in working order. The venom Mayumi got him with needs to be worked out of his system and the easiest way to do that is to move around, not let it settle." Rei explained as she finished cleaning up. Kagome glanced worriedly from Rei to Inuyasha and slowly removed her hand from his chest, concern still etched into her face. Her eyes locked with his and she tried to convey everything she was feeling. All of the hurt, confusion, and relief fought over her expression forcing a tangled mess of teary eyes and a sad smile on her face.

"Well I'd best be going." Rei announced slamming her small trunk shut and slinging it over her shoulder. Kagome jumped at the sudden noise and Inuyasha moved in front of her, his need to protect her still evident.

"Going?" Kagome asked peeking out from behind Inuyasha, who, still had not let his guard down.

"Yes, I have to find Mayumi and Masaru and most likely give Mayumi some medical attention and help calm Masaru down. I need to explain what our situation will be in the future." Rei answered as she walked towards the door and into the now dark hall.

"We-we'll go with you! It's already dark what if something happens to you?" Kagome said. However, her comment was only answered with a confused look from Inuyasha and Rei quirking an eyebrow.

"Umm, well I think I'll be fine. But thanks I guess…" Rei said an awkward tone in her voice as she stepped out into the hall. "Oh, and I won't be back till morning." Rei added looking over her shoulder at Inuyasha before disappearing into the dark hallway.

Kagome sat upright behind Inuyasha, confusion on her face. 'Why wouldn't Rei want us to come along? And what about that morning comment? What did she mean by that?' Kagome asked herself.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked. His voice had a hint of a growl in it that only made Kagome shiver more from the absence of light in the room. Only three small candles still flickered and the light from outside had vanished with the setting sun.

"Yes? Are you okay? Does something hurt?" Kagome fretted, "Because if it does I think I can call Rei back and-" she was cut short by Inuyasha's sudden embrace that had her pressed up to him as he wrapped his arms around her body. She could feel Inuyasha burying his face in her neck and Kagome felt a blush creep up her cheeks in response.

"W-what are you doing? Inuyasha?" Kagome stuttered out. Slowly he began to pull her to him, placing her body on top of his as he lay back down. Kagome struggled to get out of the, what she deemed, awkward position. But Inuyasha's hands held fast on her back forcing her into him.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered, making her name sound like a prayer. Kagome felt his tongue dart out to lick her ear. She was in full battle mode then, her body wiggling and pushing against him. 'What is he doing!' Kagome screamed mentally. She tried to get her arms out of his iron clad grip but he was too strong. It seemed as though the more she struggled the harder he held her. She could feel the air being squeezed from her lungs as Inuyasha clasped his hands around her. Fear began to work its way into her veins and she felt her muscles go slack from over exertion. Just then Inuyasha's mouth caressed her ear again bringing a new bought of fear pumping through her already slack limbs.

"Inuyasha please stop!" Kagome whimpered out as she body gave way to the exhaustion. Inuyasha instantly let go, his actions driven by the fact that his mate was in pain.

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Inuyasha asked. He sat up and moved her so she sat facing him between his knees. Kagome's exhausted expression and teary eyes drove him to panic.

At once his hands were on her, checking and re-checking any places she might be injured. His hands ended at her face pulling it up to look at him. Kagome was still trying to catch her breath as he lifted her chin up towards his face.

"Kagome? Tell me where your hurt, please, let me help you." Inuyasha begged scooting even closer to her. At last Kagome began to breath normally though her body still crumpled from her over exertion.

"W-why were you…Why were you doing th-that?" Kagome managed to stutter out, her chin quaking the panic and fatigue. She twisted her head away from him and planted her gaze on the ground. Inuyasha pulled away suddenly, confused by her words.

"Doing what?" he asked turning her face towards him. Inuyasha wasn't sure what she was talking about and he didn't like her to be this close to crying without a reason and a way to stop her tears.

"Th-that…hugging me and then…you touched, I-I mean it was…" Kagome said keeping her eyes down. She couldn't help but feel like she was in the wrong when he gave her that innocent and concerned expression.

"Hugged you?" Inuyasha asked. He was beyond confusion now, "But didn't you just say that you loved me?"

Kagome blushed and met his eyes for a second before looking down again in embarrassment. She nodded slowly remembering well her confession.

"So, if you love me and I love you then there should be no problem with us having sex, right?" Inuyasha asked titling his head to the side. At once Kagome's face lit up in a blush she stared at Inuyasha in awe that he could so easily spell it out. 'Wait, he loves me?' Kagome screamed to herself. She looked down focusing on a speck of dust to keep her thoughts together. Her body was now shivering not from the exertion but from the excitement. 'He did say that, right? I'm not just imagining things, right?' she asked herself. Kagome gulped in anxiety and gathered her courage as she lifted her face to look at Inuyasha. He was still sitting there in front of her, head cocked to the side, one eyebrow lifted in confusion and worry.

"D-do you really…I mean you actually said that you love me, right?" Kagome asked. Her mind was torn. His words, if they had been true, were simple elating, they drove her to want to scream from any and all mountain tops that he loved her. Yet, it was still there, that mocking seed of mistrust. 'It is too good, too good to be true. Why would he love you? Why would anyone? You're a skimpy little battered girl with not a single redeeming attribute. So tell me why, why would he love you?' the voice in Kagome's head took on that of her mother's berating tone. She felt her body shrink back in apprehension as she waited for his words.

"Hmm? Yeah, of course I love you; why else would I have marked you?" Inuyasha answered leaning in closer towards her. Kagome sat stark still taking in his words. It wasn't until she had fully let the fact that there was a being in this world who loved her settle that she heard his questions.

"I-I didn't mean to be disrespectful about the mark, really! I guess I just didn't know if the rules of demon mating applied to our situation…" Kagome answered and she reached up to touch the now forever bruised flesh at the base of her neck. Inuyasha flinched slightly as she rubbed his mating mark. He fought to keep himself from wrapping her in his arms again.

"Well, I guess I should have explained it to you better. It's always been common knowledge to me so but I shouldn't have assumed you would know what it meant." Inuyasha explained.

"No! Please don't apologize, I should have asked you about it sooner." Kagome squeaked. She let out a sigh of relief and absently stroked the mark on her neck.

Okay, she was driving him crazy! The situation, his mate sitting between his legs rubbing his making mark while blushing and smiling as she re-declared her love for him. And the effects? Inuyasha was going positively insane trying to keep his hands off her! He didn't even know what had sparked her panic in the first place and now he wanted to continue since they both understood each other's feelings.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked drawing her gaze up from the floor. The second their eyes met Kagome felt like prey. His gaze was dark and full of thoughts she knew should never be said aloud. The golden orbs promised her many things in their devious glinting, but, mostly they promised she wouldn't have to wait long to find out about all his intentions.

Slowly Inuyasha moved closer to her, his warm breath gliding over her face causing a shiver to run down her spine. At once Kagome threw her hands up to land on his chest. And though her strength didn't stop him her worried expression did.

"Inuyasha wait!" Kagome pleaded. Her eyes were wide with fear and Inuyasha hated how she looked at him like that. Anger rolled in his stomach as he thought of her rejecting him after what they had been through. 'Hell, if she thinks I'm stopping!' Inuyasha inwardly threatened her. Suddenly her wrists were in his hands. Inuyasha easily swung her over him and onto the thin bed of cloth beneath him. He let his left hand take over her wrists as his right one slid suggestively down her body, cupping her breast as he went. Inuyasha didn't dare look at Kagome. He knew what her expression would be, fear, fear of him. He tried to tune out her screaming as he began to lift up her dress, his hand just sliding under the hem when she went silent all together.

Inuyasha stopped as well, but he didn't dare meet her eyes. He could feel her shaking as they both stayed still.

"I don't want…don't want…" Kagome whimpered out. Inuyasha could hear the tears in her voice. At once he let go of her wrists and pulled himself off of her. He sat, his back to her, as she slowly sat up.

"I-I'm sorry. I guess I thought…I'm sorry…" Inuyasha mumbled. He didn't want her to reject him, but forcing her had felt even worse. Hid whole body seemed to chide him for having hurt her. He lowered his head in defeat and let the self-hatred wash over him. Suddenly he felt a feather light touch on his back. It grew until he could feel Kagome's body pressed up against him. Her arms shook as they wrapped around his waist.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, turning himself slightly so he could see her. She clung to him faintly shaking as a few tears made their way down her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry Inuyasha. It's not that…that I don't want to, to do these things with you. Please don't be mad!" Kagome begged her grip tightening around him.

"Then why?" Inuyasha asked. He moved so that she was now hugging his chest instead of his back. Inuyasha gently wrapped his arms around her as well.

"I-I don't want you to turn into a full demon like last time!" Kagome rushed out burying her head into his chest.

"Full demon?" Inuyasha asked. He put a hand on each of her shoulders and pulled her away from him slightly so he could see her face.

"Y-yeah, when your eyes glow red you turn into a full demon, Rei told me about it…didn't you know?" Kagome asked.

"No…I didn't," Inuyasha answered his brow furrowing. Anger swept over his face and he felt is aura fury slide over the room. Kagome shivered from its power before Inuyasha could get his feeling sunder control. "That's why I can't remember anything isn't it?" He asked.

"I-I think so. Rei said that it was bad for you and that you could ruin your body if you kept doing it." Kagome explained.

"Then, you not wanting to have sex was because you didn't want me to transform?" Inuyasha asked.

"Y-yes, of course!" Kagome answered rather loudly. She instantly blushed at her rather insistent response before looking down. Suddenly Kagome felt his lips at her ear again, his tongue running its way from her ear to her neck. She shivered trying to pull away.

"Inuyasha? Why are you?" Kagome attempted to ask before his lips crashed into hers. The kiss was demanding and hard, something Kagome was not ready for. Inuyasha forced her mouth open and began to claim it as his own. He finally pulled away leaving them both panting before he lightly pushed her back down under him.

"Why? You even have to ask why? It's because I'm going to mark you again," Inuyasha whispered into her ear, letting his hands run over her body. "I'll make you mine over and over until you can't even tell who you are anymore." He promised biting at her ear forcing a shrill moan to erupt from Kagome's lips. The deadly promise hung in the air as Inuyasha began to work his way down her neck, leaving marks any and everywhere he could. Kagome felt her body melt under him, but her concern brought her back from the pleasure.

"B-but what if y-you change?" Kagome managed to gasp out just as he was beginning to lift up her dress. Inuyasha didn't pause from his assault on her and instead merely moved his mouth back up to her ear.

"I won't, I'll be damned if I let my other self have you tonight!" with that Inuyasha pulled her dress up to her chest before forcing her arms up to slip the fabric off completely. Kagome felt the air hit her skin, but she hardly had time to adjust before his body was on hers again.

"You're mine! I promise I won't change tonight, please, let me have you…" Inuyasha begged as he buried his head into her hair. Kagome lay there under him feeling his breath on her neck. Slowly she lifted her arms up and let her hands run over his hair. Inuyasha pulled back slightly to see her face. She wore a small smile and a bright scarlet blush on her cheeks. Her hands delved into his hair again, the feeling of her fingers on him sending trills down his spine. Her motion was sudden and left him breathless as she curled herself into his body and buried her head in the crook of his neck.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked his voice heavy with his want for her.

"I-I love you Inuyasha." She whispered before kissing the base of his neck, mirroring his mark on her.

Inuyasha was a man unleashed. His hands flew to her sides setting her back down on the bed before he kissed her. His lips parted hers with ease and soon Kagome's tongue was trying to mimic his own movements. Inuyasha growled as she grew more daring, even going so far as to nibble at his lip. But her actions were short lived for soon his hands found her breasts. Kagome's head tilted back as Inuyasha ran his hands over her chest.

"Inuyasha!" she moaned out, her voice almost begging him. Inuyasha complied moving his head down to trace his tongue over breasts. He felt her twist and turn as he moved his mouth over her.

"Hey, hey, Kagome," Inuyasha panted out his hand slowly sliding down her stomach, "tell me it feels good, tell me you love me."

As soon as he finished those words Kagome felt his hand delve between her legs. At once she tried to close them in embarrassment. But, he held them open with his own legs, as he moved his hand over her again. Kagome tried to stop his hand with her own but she quickly found her writs pinned above her head by his other hand. She could feel his aura coating the room once more, rushing waves of desire that crashed into her as he moved.

Inuyasha moved his mouth to her ear once more. "Say it, say it feels good, say you love me." He almost ordered. At first Kagome was scared that he was going to change, that his demanding words were a sign of his transformation. But as he chanted the words again they sounded more and more like a plea. Kagome felt her body go ridged as his finger delved inside her.

It came out in a rush, the words that Inuyasha needed to hear and Kagome longed to say, "I-I love you Inuyasha!" she stuttered out before another moan could take over her voice.

"I love you too." With that Inuyasha released her wrists and used his free hand to slide his pants off. Kagome heard the rustling fabric and looked down. Her face immediately turned bright red as she saw all of Inuyasha. She looked away instantly both ashamed and amazed, and ashamed for being amazed.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, "It's okay to, right? You won't hate it, right?" He looked down at her; a want she had never known existed flashing in his eyes. Kagome felt him pull his finger out of her and steady himself on top of her. She remembered their first time, so rough and jagged she had felt as though her body had been torn in two. And while she didn't want to experience that again the pleading in Inuyasha's eyes gave her no choice but to lean forward and kiss him.

The pressure brought a strangled moan from Kagome's lips as Inuyasha slid into her. It was different than their first time, so much different in fact that she wasn't even sure he was doing it right. Kagome let her eyes open slightly to peek down before she immediately looked away very sure they were indeed doing the same thing.

"Does it hurt?" Inuyasha asked his breath already haggard from the feeling of her around him.

"N-no, it doesn't hurt…" Kagome said squinting her eyes as all of him entered her. Inuyasha didn't move for a few seconds before he started to pull out of her only to push himself back in. Kagome could feel him moving but it wasn't uncomfortable in the least. She was embarrassed to admit it but it felt almost right to have him with her like this.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha groaned out. She looked up at him as he let out a low growl before kissing her. His lips jammed into hers and forced her mouth to comply with his before he pulled away suddenly whispering, "I'm sorry."

His movement was rough and fast as he slammed himself into her. At once Kagome was left breathless. Her body was moving on its own trying to match Inuyasha's impossible rhythm. The pleasure shot through her and made her toes curl and her fingers grip his arms until her knuckles turned white.

"In-Inuyasha!" she shouted feeling him twist her hips slightly as he began to move faster.

"Say it again, say my name." Inuyasha whispered his eyes clouded over with lust. Kagome had no mind to make out what he was saying; only that it was Inuyasha saying it.

"Inuyasha! S-something's…Ah! No! Please!" Kagome panted out as Inuyasha shifted her once again bringing a whole new wave of pleasure to crashing over her. "I-it feels…Inuyasha!" she screamed as he bent low to lick her mating mark. Kagome could swear the mark had made her neck more sensitive, for as Inuyasha licked at it she felt her body almost curl in on itself and a nerve frying jolt rush through her.

…

She was standing on a hill, no not a hill, a mountain. The sky stretched out above and below her in a vast expanse. Her body flowed in the air as if it could be taken away by a gust of wind. She was suddenly scared, scared of the wind's mighty gust, scared of being blowing away.

Then she felt it, soft at first, then more firmly; a hand on her face, gently rubbing her cheek and a voice calling her name. The voice drew her down from the mountain's windswept top to a warm place where the touch was even more present and the words sweeter than candy. The voice told her many things, many wonderful heart-felt things. It talked of love and a future; it calmed her to no end. Suddenly the hand on her face grew rougher, almost jagged against her skin. Fear crept into her mind as the voice became more and more frantic; shouting her name in time with the hand's now none to gentle movements.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha's voice rang loud and clear in her head. His panic drove her from her dream and into reality. Her eyes creaked open to a dark room with a faint flickering light in the corner of her vision.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, his tone still worried, "Are you okay? Please answer me!" At that Kagome opened her eyes fully. Inuyasha was leaning over her his hand on her cheek with his thumb rubbing tiny worry filled circles over her skin.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked still unsure of her whereabouts. In a flash Inuyasha had her pulled into his chest, his arms wrapping themselves around her tiny body.

"Thank goodness you're awake I was afraid I had really hurt you." Inuyasha explained letting her lay back down in the bed. He shuffled about bringing a wet washcloth to her forehead and pulling the blankets up over her. Kagome glanced down and saw that her clothes were on, but a bit ragged around the collar. 'What happened?' Kagome asked herself as Inuyasha moved to get the bucket of drinking water and the ladle. 'Inuyasha and I were…' she trailed off suddenly remembering all too well what they had been doing.

"Inuyasha, what…what did I?" Kagome tried to ask, not sure what she should and shouldn't be confused about. He turned and lifted her slightly and brought the ladle of water to her lips. To Kagome's surprise she was parched. The water sloshing down her throat brought a feeling of relief she didn't know she needed.

Inuyasha let her drink her fill before he put the ladle back and began to wet her washcloth again, keeping his eyes away from hers.

"Inuyasha? Are you okay?" Kagome asked concern ebbing into her voice. Had she done something wrong?

"I'm fine, Kagome, don't worry. Just get some rest." Inuyasha said as he moved away from her and into the corner where he pulled an apple out from one of the barrels. He proceeded to sit, his back towards her, and peel the apple slowly.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome asked again. When he didn't answer she could feel the worry bubbling up inside her. 'What did I do wrong? I know I'm not good at...sex…but what did I do wrong? Was I not supposed to make so much noise?' Kagome asked herself fretting over the situation. 'Should I have touched him more? No…no…it had to be my injuries. They must have put him off, made him not want to look at me. I mean the last time I remember I had a black eye and bruises all over my body, it's no wonder, it's no wonder at all…' she trailed off bringing her hands up to her face, feeling where the skin seemed to swell.

"I…I'm sorry Inuyasha…I really am sorry." Kagome whispered as she rolled over so she wouldn't have to face him. At once Inuyasha was at her side, the apple still in his grasp.

"Why are you apologizing?" he asked a demanding tone in his voice. Kagome looked over her shoulder in fear at him. She didn't want to face him now, not when she was still so…ugly.

"Really I'm sorry, I'll try to keep you from having to see me like this again, really I will. So please, don't hate me, please." Kagome managed to whisper out. Suddenly all of her mother's insults spilled forth from her mind. Kagome flinched at their memories and prayed Inuyasha wouldn't echo them.

His arms were around her in a flash bringing her onto his lap. The washcloth and apple both fell to the floor as he let his forehead lay on her head.

"You really do confound me, did you know that?" Inuyasha said his voice carrying a sorrowful aftertaste. Kagome tried to turn to face him but quickly stopped once she remembered her own appearance.

"I-I don't understand, I don't know." Kagome said letting her body drop against his.

"You should be mad with me. You should be hitting me and scorning me and telling me over and over what a worthless being I am." Inuyasha confessed into her hair.

"What?" Kagome asked, her own voice harsh. Her fears were forgotten as she turned to look him in the eye. But, she found her waist to be less than compliant and instead she fell on her side almost hitting her head on the floor. Inuyasha's hands caught her and brought her back into his arms. He helped her twist herself to face him.

"I'm sorry I must have moved too suddenly…" Kagome said trying to figure out why her body would betray her so. She tried to move her waist again but found that it was almost powerless and even ached a little.

"Inuyasha, I think I might have hurt myself." Kagome said still staring at her hips.

"No, I hurt you." He said, looking to the side to avoid her gaze.

"What?" she asked drawing her head nearer to his as though their misunderstanding could be solved within the physical space.

"You were right. I shouldn't have taken you last night." Inuyasha answered still avoiding her eyes.

"I was right?" Kagome asked letting their earlier conversations filter through her mind, "Oh no! You didn't transform did you! Are you hurt anywhere? No one tired to hurt you, right?" Kagome rushed out worry coating each word. Inuyasha finally looked at her, but his expression was one of outright confusion.

"What? No, I didn't transform." He answered.

"But, then why was I right?" she asked scooting closer. Inuyasha pushed himself away in response.

"You were right in that I shouldn't have had sex with you. Kagome, I hurt you." He confessed. She looked down for a moment running the night's events over, and getting a few chills doing so. But, she couldn't think of a single instance where he had hurt her, except before but it didn't seem as thought he was talking about then.

"I still don't understand." She said trying to crane her neck so he would be forced to look at her. Inuyasha didn't move away but he refused to meet her eyes.

"Last night I know I hurt you, don't try to deny it. When I was about to finish," Inuyasha explained receiving a very scarlet blush from Kagome, "you suddenly screamed and then blacked out. I know it was my fault, it was because I came in you, wasn't it?"

Well there could not have been a tomato in the world that could have matched Kagome's present color. Her whole body radiated the embarrassment she felt not only when he explained his theory but also the fact that she was going to have to explain to him why he was wrong. She let her head drop, very sure that she couldn't say this while looking at him.

"N-no, that's not it…I mean you're wrong about th-the 'came' thing. I didn't scream or…or black out because you did that." She managed to explain before her face reached an even deeper shade of red. Kagome felt Inuyasha turn his head towards her.

"What do you mean? I came in you and then you blacked out." Inuyasha explained. "I- I've never come in anyone before so that has to be it."

Kagome sighed and steadied herself. "No, I'm only going to say this once so please listen." She felt Inuyasha nod as he leaned closer to her.

"I-I came too that's why I blacked out!" she said in a rush. The room went silent at which point Kagome began repeating the phrase, 'kill me now!' in her head.

"So you…and that's why..." Inuyasha finally said. Kagome dared a peek up at his face only to be caught in his arms and forced into a hug that had their eyes meeting. Inuyasha had the goofiest grin spread across his face as he looked at her.

"It must have felt pretty good then, huh?" he teased. Kagome felt herself being torn. On the one hand Inuyasha wasn't mad with her and he was smiling and laughing. On the other hand he was laughing at her. 'How can you want to hug and hit someone at the same time?' she briefly asked herself. Upon hearing no answer she gave in and let her arms wrap around him as well.

Inuyasha was content, and not to mention oozing with pride! He had made his mate so intoxicated with their lovemaking that she had passed out due to sheer pleasure. He could feel his chest swell with the pride as he hugged her closer loving the feel of her tiny hands trying to wrap around his back.

Kagome was happy. It was a lovely feeling, she decided. 'But Rei really was right.' She thought. Kagome rewound the last few minutes in her head. She had had to go through all of those nonsensical feelings just to get to where she was now. 'But, it feels better this way, like I earned it.' She conceded.

It was sudden and left her gasping slightly. Inuyasha tensed and pulled her up, forcing her behind him. Kagome understood immediately, someone had come back.

…..

Author's note: I am extremely sorry for the long interval in between these chapters. In an effort to win you all back I tired to write twice as much. I hope it works. Thank you.


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